Opposite Attractions
by Kinsler5
Summary: Aya, a sweet girl, meets Rei, a cold isolated guy with more problems than anyone could ever imagine. Slowly and with presistance, Aya becomes his friend while Rei finds his reason to live. AU.
1. What Lies Beneath

**Gals!**

_Hey, people! New story!_

_I'm sorry that I didn't continue Falling For You. I don't think will._

_Well, I hope you enjoy this story. This will probably be the only Aya and Rei story I write._

_This is also the first story that I write that doesn't follow the storyline._

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><p><strong>Opposite Attractions<strong>

**Chapter 1 - What Lies Beneath**

"I'm going now." Aya said, grabbing a piece of toast and biting it. She got up from her chair and went over to the kitchen counter. Aya grabbed her books and her papers, then walked to her door. She put on her shoes and grabbed her bag that was leaning against the wall with her other free hand. Before opening the door, Aya spotted her dog coming from kitchen.

Smiling, Aya leaned down, placed her books on the floor, and petted her dog. He was a medium sized Australian Terrier with long brown soft fur. His ears were pointing up while it's tail wagged with excitement. "Did you enjoy your morning walk?" Aya asked him, scratching him behind his ears. "I'm off to school, but I promise to play with you later, okay?" Aya told him even though she knew she wasn't going to get any response. "Be a good boy, Dylan. I'll be back in a while."

Aya got up from her knees after giving Dylan a big hug. Sighing, Aya pressed her Hounan skirt down and made sure it's edges weren't sticking up. Aya looked back at her empty house, placing her hand in the door knob. Her mother and father were never home. They're lives seemed to revolve only around their work. They would never be around in the morning and they would arrive late at night or sometimes they wouldn't come home at all. Aya opened the door and stepped outside.

"Bye, Dylan!" She said with a smile and shut the door. Aya took out her keys from her school bag and locked the door. Taking a deep breath, Aya placed her keys back in her bag and began to walk towards school just like any other day.

It was a very beautiful morning. The white clouds floated along the blue sky. The swift wind would make Aya's hair fly around and the sun's rays would send a warm sensation through out her body. After a couple of minutes, Aya finally arrived at school. A couple of students were already entering the school gate. Checking her watched, Aya realized that she had arrived 20 minutes early. "20 minutes I could have spent with Dylan." Aya mumbled to herself. Looking around, Aya saw no trace of her Friends, Ran and Miyu.

Aya was going to wait for them until they arrived, but decided not to. Ran always arrived late to school because she would usually sleep in late. Then, Miyu would spend her entire morning with her boyfriend and she would eventually lose track of time. Aya gripped on her books and sighed sadly. She would have to wait for them in the classroom.

Aya turned around so quickly that she bumped into someone who was walking by. Losing her balance, Aya fell down on the ground backwards. Her hands lost grip of her books and were sent flying in all directions. Her bag also fell to the ground with a couple of papers coming out. With her eyes slowly opening, Aya could feel her face turning a bright red color. Her hands were behind her back and her knees were leaning against each other. Aya looked around and saw all her books and her papers scattered around her. Pulling her feet together, Aya noticed that she was under someone's shadow. Aya lifted her head to find a guy standing right in front of her. She blushed and turned to look away. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean too." She timidly said.

"Hmph." He was staring down at her, giving her a cold glare. "That's what you get for not paying attention." The guy said as he sneered at her. Aya sat down on her knees and started to gather her books. The guy that was standing in front of her was very handsome. He had brown hair with blue eyes. His uniform was on him in a very sloppy manner that made him look scary. Aya took a quick peek at him as she gathered her stuff. He had one of his hands in his pocket while the other hand held his school bag behind his back. Aya didn't know why but she felt very nervous. "You better watch where you're going next time." He told her, turning around and leaving her with a puzzled face.

Aya had expected him to at least give her a hand picking up her books, but he didn't. He just left her to do it herself. With her books in her hand, Aya grabbed her bag and stood up slowly. She stared at the guy she had just bumped into. Who was he? She had never seen him before or maybe she had but she just didn't remember. Aya shrugged and began to walk toward the school. That guy had given her such a mean glare for no reason. She told him that she was sorry. She didn't mean to crash into him. For such a handsome guy, he sure had an ugly attitude. Aya shook her thoughts away as she stepped inside the school.

She walked gracefully down the hallway with her eyes concentrated on the floor. No one paid attention to her, but she didn't mind. She had always had the ability to blend in with the crowd. Aya was about to walk inside her classroom when she heard someone calling out her name. She turned around, but saw no one familiar. Then, she heard her name again.

"Aya! Hold up!" Aya spotted Yuuya running toward her with an alarmed face. Smiling, Aya walked toward him. When he stood right in front of her, Yuuya bent down, placing his hands on his knees and trying to catch his breath. Aya gripped on her books tightly as she laughed a little. "Yuuya, are you okay? You seem out of breath. Ah, don't tell me." Aya rolled her eyes before looking at the long window that was in front of her classroom. "Those girls were chasing you again." Aya paused, looking at him nod. "I guess you can't help it, huh?"

"Yeah. They can get pretty annoying." He told her, taking deep breaths.

"They must really like you." Aya said a bit sarcastically. "Anyways, have you told Ran that you like her?" Yuuya fiddled with his fingers nervously as he started babbling complete nonsense to himself. Aya always thought he was handsome, but he had his heart set on someone else. "Why don't you just tell Ran how you feel. I'm almost sure she'll accept your feelings. Just imagine. If you and her start a relationship, then all those other girls might leave you alone."

Yuuya smiled at her. Aya blushed and quickly looked away. "Aya, you're just the cutest thing." Aya shook her head as she sighed. "Anyways, I can't just tell Ran that I like her." He crossed his hands across his chest. "Especially not now. She seems more interested in that stupid monkey boy." Aya couldn't help but laugh.

"C'mon, silly." Aya told him sweetly, trying to cheer him up. "We should get going to class." Yuuya nodded in agreement and followed Aya inside class.

Aya watched Yuuya walk over to his desk and sit down. He placed his right cheek on his desk with a depressed look. "Poor Yuuya." Aya whispered to herself before she started walking over to her desk.

Her desk was in the last row beside the window. She really liked it there because she could look outside at the beautiful sky. Sometimes she would daydream into her own little world. Aya placed her books on top of her desk and sat down. Leaning her head on her hand, Aya started to close her eyes slowly. Class hadn't even started and she was already starting to fall asleep. After she came home from school yesterday, Aya had spent all night studying and doing homework. Then she eventually fell asleep on top of her books.

Pretty soon, everyone started to come in including Ran and Miyu. Ran waved at her with a goofy smile then walked over to Yuuya. She gave him a big pat on the back, that startled him and caused him to almost fall out his chair. Aya giggled a little and spotted Miyu walking towards her. "Hey, Miyu. You and Ran are pretty early today." Aya told her with a smile.

"Yeah. Miyu had to wake up early today because she had to make Yamato a special lunch." Miyu exclaimed, leaning her hands on the desk that was behind her. "How are you doing lately? You're not pushing yourself too hard are you?"

Aya shook her head no and turned back to the window. "I'm okay. Don't worry." Of course, she was lying. In fact, she wasn't okay at all. Lately, she had been feeling quite depressed. Her parents were coming home less often, leaving her alone with Dylan. Then, she had gotten a part time job at a local book store. It wasn't hard work and the hours weren't long, but Aya would get bored sometimes. One day, someone gave her boss a complain about her and she got fired the next day. Now, Aya was searching for a new job, so she could pay for her own stuff and Dylan's food. She really hated asking her parents for money. Miyu placed her hand on her shoulder, snapping Aya from her thoughts. "Aya, if you ever need anything, just remember you can count on us."

"Yeah, I know." Aya smiled at her. Miyu sighed with a bit of relief. When the teacher walked in, Miyu waved to Aya and walked over to her desk which was right next to Ran's. Yuuya sat up straight, drooling as he stared at Ran.

Everyone in school, had or used to have a crush on Ran Kotobuki. She was so outgoing and beautiful. Aya wondered why she would pick her as a friend. She was the total opposite. She was quiet, shy, and very conservative. There were many people that always took advantage of her and bullied her. Of course, she never told her friends that. Aya kept her problems to herself. Besides her friends, no one else cared about her, not even her parents. Most people picked on her or they felt sorry for her. Aya sighed as she opened one of her books. No guys were attracted to her. In fact, she had never had a boyfriend in her entire life. Aya held her head with both hands as she thought about her sorry life. Maybe, someday life would bring her true happiness. All she had too was be patient.

"Okay, everyone." Nakanishi Sensei told the class as he stepped in front of his desk. A guy followed him and stood right next to him."We have a new student." Nakanishi exclaimed. "This Rei Otohata, he'll be your new classmate, so I want you all to make him feel welcome."

Aya looked up lazily and was surprised to see the guy from this morning. All the girls started to sequel as they stared at the handsome guy. Aya could feel her heart starting to pound as well. He still had the same cold glare from before even though all the girls were basically praising him.

'He's so handsome and yet, he looks so mean. It's almost like he hates the world. I wonder what's wrong with him.'Aya thought.

"Miss Hoshino!"

Aya suddenly snapped from her thoughts back into reality. She look forward with surprised eyes. "Yes, Sensei?" Aya could feel a deep shade of red as she felt everyone's eyes on her.

Shaking his head, Nakanishi turned to Rei. "Otohata, there is an empty seat next to Miss Aya Hoshino. I'd like you to sit there for now. If you need any help with the assignment, I'm sure she will be willing to help you." Without saying single word, Rei walked over to his new desk and sat down.

Trying to avoid his gaze, Aya turned back to her book and pretended to read. In reality though, she was looking at him from the corner of her eye. He crouched down on his seat and crossed his hands annoyingly. Aya lifted her head while the urge to talk to him increased. Why did she want to talk to him so badly? When Aya decided to take a quick look at his face, she accidentally made eye contact which made her face bright as a tomato. Aya quickly turned to look at the board, hoping she could just forget about the person that was next to her. Out of the empty seats, why did the teacher chose the one next to her?

A couple of minutes passed and Mr. Nakanishi finally started his lesson, but Aya's mind wasn't in the class in anymore. Her eyes slowly drifted outside while her chin rested on her head.

...

After a long day at school, the bell finally rang for dismissal. Aya sighed and began to gather her books. Ran and others were already walking outside the class, leaving her alone. They were probably on their way to their favorite noodle shop. They didn't even invite her because they already knew that she was going to turn them down. Aya decided to put all her books inside her bag so she wouldn't have to carry them. Standing up, Aya pushed her chair in and was about to walk away, when Nakanishi stopped her.

"Miss Hoshino? There is something I need from you." He told her seriously as he adjusted a couple of papers that were on top of his desk. Aya sighed, but when she realized that Rei Otohata was still sitting in his desk, her entire body stiffen. "Yes, Sensei? What is it?"

"Since you're a very bright girl, I'd like for you to help out Rei Otohata. Maybe help him out with the homework or help him study for the upcoming test. He's pretty far behind, but I leave you in charge. Help him catch up."

Aya could feel her legs starting to tremble as she gave her teacher a big fake smile. "Yes, of course. You can count on me, Sensei." Aya looked at Rei. His face showed no emotion in the least. It seemed almost as if he didn't even care. Aya's face flushed a deep shade of red when she saw Rei get up and stare at her. "Okay, well." Nakanishi continued. "I'm glad." After he fixed his papers, Nakanishi walk toward the door and left, leaving Aya and Rei alone.

"Um, well," Aya didn't know what to say since Rei was looking at the other side of the classroom now. "I'm Aya Hoshino. I'm the one who bumped into you in the morning. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean too." Rei stood in silence not even bothering to look at her. "I'm sure you'll like it here. It's a very nice school."

Each second seemed like an hour to Aya. Suddenly, Rei placed his bag over his shoulders and started to walk away. Aya sighed as she stared at him. Why couldn't she get on his good side? Grabbing her bag, Aya followed him out of the classroom. She walked right behind down the empty hallways. Aya wondered if he even knew that she was following him. If the Sensei hadn't told her to help him out, then she probably wouldn't be following him. She needed to ask him if he needed any help with the homework that had been assigned for tonight. There was also another reason why she followed him. Since he was new, he probably didn't have any friends yet. With that cold attitude of his, Aya figured he had a hard time making friends, so she decided that she would be his new friend.

"Um, Otohata-kun?" Aya increased her step to catch up with him. Looking at him, Aya couldn't help but admire his features. His hair looked so soft and his face was so perfect. "If you need any help with the homework, you can just tell me. I'll be more than happy to help you." Aya told him blushing. "Also, if you ever just need someone to talk to, you can tell me."

Rei stopped walking and turned to face her. Startled, Aya also stopped walking. She looked at him while she gripped on her bag's handle tightly. Why had she said that? Now, she just sounded like a total freak. Aya wished she could take her words back. It was very clear that Rei didn't like her in slightest bit, so there was no way he would ever be her friend. Aya looked at the floor as she felt Rei stare at her. What could she say to him now? "Um, I'm sorry. I was just suggesting." Aya told him, shifting her eyes toward him.

Smirking, Rei placed his hand in his pocket and looked at her. "Look, girl, I don't know who the hell you think you are, but you're starting to get on my damn nervous. Leave me alone, okay. I don't want you near me." Aya's eyes widen as she looked at Rei. "Why don't you just get lost? You annoy me." Rei turned around and walked away.

Aya bit her lip to prevent her tears from falling. "Fine. This is the only and the last time I try to help you." Aya whispered to him. "Here, I was, trying to be nice. Stupid, Aya. You're such a fool." She said sadly to herself.

…

Walking home from school, Aya's mind kept thinking of Rei's cold words. It wasn't the first time Aya was treated that way. In fact, she was starting to get used to it, but it still saddened her. She had really wanted to be Rei's friend, but he didn't want too. He probably didn't want be friends with anyone. Then, she suddenly shook her head. Why was she still thinking about him for? Dylan was home all alone while she's over here thinking about some cold hearted bastard. Aya gritted her teeth and started walking a bit faster.

Aya tried to walk past the crowd, but she couldn't. The streets were usually never this full with people. She would go around some people to find her path blocked by more. Checking her watch, Aya realized that she was suppose to be home since an hour ago. Aya groaned in annoyance as she stopped in front of traffic light. Tapping her foot impatiently, Aya waited for the walk sign to pop up. After a couple of seconds, the walk sign appeared and Aya quickly dashed across the street.

"Almost home." She said to herself, but then found herself standing in front of a huge line of of people. They were all trying to go inside a newly opened shop. Aya placed her hands on her hips. This was taking forever. She didn't understand why there were so many people out today. She could easily just try squeeze herself through, but why go through all that trouble when she could just find a shortcut?

Turning around, Aya walked away, down the street again. She turned the corner to her right into a street she had never walked in. Then at a distance, Aya could see her home. Her face lit up a little. Instead of making that big turn, she could just walk down this street and she'll be home. Sighing with some relief, Aya's steps ceased as she looked around. The street she was on didn't really seem like a street at all. It seem more like an alley. Aya gulped, closing her eyes. It was okay though. She was almost home, anyways.

"Hey, lookie what we got here." Someone in the shadows said. Aya quickly turned, but didn't see anyone. Her heart started to pound loudly with fear. Maybe she was just hearing things. Maybe her mind was just playing games with her. "Calm down, Aya." She told herself quietly.

When she started walking again, Aya heard the voice again. "It's pretty one, too. Let's keep her for a bit." Aya stopped again and looked around. She was so scared that she wanted to cry.

Suddenly, Aya saw three men that were walking toward her. They all wore torn jeans with baggy shirts. One the guys had long black hair that covered one of his eyes and Aya could tell he had a piercing in his lips. There was another guy that had short red hair and the other one had a shaved head. Aya could feel her entire body quivering with fear.

"Come with me, pretty girl." The guy with black hair hissed at Aya, making her take a few steps back. "You won't regret it. I promise."

Instead of screaming, Aya started crying as she watched the guys close in on her. Dropping her bag, Aya quickly turned around and was about to runaway, but one of the guys grabbed her arm. He pulled her toward him and grabbed her tightly around the waist. Aya tried to pull away, but of course, being a guy, he was a lot stronger than her. Then, he pushed her toward the wall. As soon as Aya felt the impact of the bricked wall, pain traveled through out her back. Aya looked up and found the guy with the black hair in front of her. He grabbed her hands and pinned them tightly on the wall, leaving Aya with no way to escape from his grasp. He looked at her with deadly eyes, sending a shiver down Aya's spine. What was he going to do to her?

"Please. Please, let me go. I didn't mean to bother you. I'm sorry. Please, let me go." Aya pleaded while she shed tears. Never in her life had she been so scared. Never in her life had she felt the urge to get home. "Please, just let get home."

"Hm, you're funny. Saying 'please' and 'sorry' won't solve anything." He told her as he tighten his grip around her wrists. "Did you think that I was going to let you go because you said please? What a fool!" He laughed which made Aya close her shut. "Putting your stupidity aside, I think you're very pretty. Why don't we get know each other a little more?"

Aya shook her head rapidly as she tried to release her grip. She was so frighten that she didn't know what to do. She couldn't depend on Ran and the others forever. Suddenly, Aya remember something Ran had said. Ran had told her that if she was ever scared of something that she should confront it and try to scare it back, but how could she? She was afraid to even open her eyes. "Don't. I don't want too. Leave me alone, please!" Aya cried, this time a bit louder than before.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing!" Someone suddenly exclaimed. Aya flew her eyes opened. That voice. She knew who it belonged too. Aya looked around and sure enough, right in front her stood Rei Otohata.

Rei grabbed the guy with the black hair and pulled him off Aya. Then, he walked in front of her and looked at the guys with an evil glare. "Leave her alone, dumb asses. Don't lay a finger on her again! Got it!"

Aya placed her hand on her chest as she felt her heart pounding loudly. Why was Rei here? The guy that she had barely met had saved her. She looked up, but the only thing she could see was Rei's back. He was protecting her. Aya didn't know why he was helping her. She was almost sure that he hated her. Maybe he did have a nice side, but he just didn't like to show it. Wiping her tears, Aya could feel warm feeling inside her.

_Thank you, Rei. _

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><p>TBC...<p> 


	2. To Be Uncovered

**Gals!**

_Hey, people! Here it is! Chapter 2!_

_Today is the last day of my Thanksgiving Break. Back to school tomorrow._

_It can't be helped, I guess. I promise to update as soon as possible._

_Please, enjoy! _

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><p><strong>Opposite Attractions<strong>

**Chapter 2 - To Be Uncovered**

"Leave her alone, dumb asses. Don't lay a finger on her again! Got it!" Rei exclaimed loudly, as he stood in front of a crying Aya.

Aya watched as all three guys started to back away and she could see why. An angry Rei could scare just about anyone. The only reason she wasn't afraid of him was because he was protecting her. Aya never knew he would do such a thing for her. Sniffing, Aya wiped her eyes steadily. The three guys cursed under their breath and ran away.

"It's all bark and no bite." Rei grumbled to himself, turning to look at the girl that was behind. Aya gently smiled at him. Then, she took a few steps toward him.

"Oh, thank you." Aya stammered, looking at the ground with a blush forming across her cheeks. "Thank you for saving me from them. I was scared. I owe you one." Aya bit her lower lip before walking over to her bag and picking it up. Then, she looked back at Rei. He was standing still, staring at her without saying a single word. "I'm sorry for causing you trouble. It won't happen again." He shrugged and started to walk away, when Aya called out his name. "Otohata-kun. Please, wait."

Aya could hear Rei sigh as he turned back around to look at her. "What do you want? Haven't you bothered me enough?" Aya's eyes widen a bit, but then shook her head rapidly. "Yes, I know. I'm sorry. As my way of saying thank you, I'll help you study for the upcoming test. It's very important and you're pretty far behind."

Rei smirked to himself as he looked at her with a sinister glare. "Why don't you just fuck off? I told you before to leave me alone. I don't need your damn pity. Keep it to yourself."

Closing her eyes, Aya felt Rei's words pierce her heart. He had just helped her out, and now, he was back to his cold mean self. Aya sighed and shoved some of her hair of her face. Then, she looked up at the sky. It was getting late and she had to get home. If Rei didn't want her help, then she wasn't going to keep insisting. Why was he like that? He was so young and yet, he hated life. Aya wished she knew why Rei had such a sour attitude towards people. All people have the desire to have someone by their side to help them out, so why was Rei different? Snapping from her thoughts, Aya looked at Rei. He had his face turned away from her while tapping his foot impatiently. Sighing, Aya gripped on her bag nervously.

"Fine. If that's what you really what, then I'll go." Aya told him as she took a few steps away from him. "But, I still don't understand why you helped me if you hate me so much."

"Don't take it to personal. I just happened to be walking by. I had no interest in saving you." Rei told her without even bothering to look at her. He placed his hands in pockets while he rolled his eyes. Aya could tell that she was starting to get on his nerves. "Now, anymore questions?"

"No." Aya said quietly. He was so mean. He didn't care if her feelings got hurt or if she would start to develop a grudge on him. Of course, though, Aya didn't hate him even though he did hate her. On the contrary, Aya wanted to help him. She wanted to get to know this guy and help him see the wonderful gifts life has to offer. Why live with misery and hatred, when you can live with happiness and love? "I guess I'll get going, then."

Rei brushed his hair back with his long fingers, then smirked to himself. "Yeah, you should get going. I don't want you to ever speak to me again. Your little girly self annoys me to no end. If you get near me, I'll make you regret it."

"I see. Don't worry, I'm leaving." Aya looked at the ground, trying to prevent her tears from falling. "If you ever need anything, I'll be more than happy to help you out. I'm sorry for bothering you." Aya bowed, turned around, and ran off toward her home.

...

She didn't understand him. Something must of caused him to be like that. All that anger and hatred had to be caused by something. Maybe he had experience some very bad hardships or maybe he doesn't have a family to care for him. The only way to find out was to ask him, but there was no way he would ever tell her. In fact, Aya doubted he had any friends at all. With that attitude he carried around, Aya was sure that everyone was scared by him. There had to be someway to melt all the ice in his heart.

Aya stopped running and leaned herself on a light post, trying to catch her breath. Why was she thinking about him? No guy had ever captured her attention the way Rei had. If there was only a way to become friends with him. Shaking her head, Aya stood up straight and started walking home again.

Checking her watch, Aya realized it was past 5. Aya gave out a big heavy sigh and wondered if her parents were home. Even though it was very unlikely, Aya still had hope. It would be nice to eat dinner like a normal family would. Aya stopped as she stood right in front of her house. It was a very attractive two story house and it had a very big front yard. It had an averaged sized living room and kitchen in the bottom floor, while the top floor had three rooms. What was the point of having a very nice house if it was empty most of the time? During the weekdays, Aya spent her hours by herself with her dog, Dylan.

Aya walked to the front gate and opened it. The front yard had very beautiful flowers planted around the bottom of the fence. Stretching her hands, Aya walked toward her front door. She took out her keys from her bag and unlocked the door. Inside, she could hear Dylan barking. He knew that it was her. Smiling to herself, Aya opened the door to find her dog wagging it's tail, happy to see her.

She tossed her bag on the floor and leaned down to hug Dylan. "Hey, boy! I'm sorry I'm late. I had some complications on my way home, but everything is okay now." Aya told him, as he barked and stuck out his tongue. Aya laughed to herself. She had no one else to talk to, so she always ended up telling her dog everything that would happen to her.

"C'mon. You're probably hungry." Aya got up and placed her hand on her right shoulder. For some reason, she felt very tired.

Aya dragged her feet to the kitchen and walked over to the food cabinet. She pulled out Dylan's food bag, and opened it. Then, she poured the dog food onto Dylan's dish. Dylan happily walked over to his bowl and started eating while he wagged his tail. Then, Aya was going to pour water on Dylan's water dish when she spotted a note on the refrigerator. Rolling her eyes, Aya walked over and grabbed the sticky note. She read even though she already knew what it said.

_To Aya_

_Hey, honey. Just stopped by to pick up some important papers. I'm afraid your father and I won't be coming home tonight. I have an important presentation to attend to while your father is preparing to travel overseas. If you need anything, just give us a buzz. _

_-Mom_

Aya crumbled the paper and tossed it in the trash. If they really cared about her, then they might consider to spend some time with her. It was almost as if they hated her. Aya felt her tears starting to form in her eyes. "It's okay, Aya. Your parents do love you, they're just a bit busy lately." Aya told herself. Grabbing the water jug, Aya poured water inside Dylan's dish.

Leaning her hands on the counter, Aya watched Dylan eat as her mind traveled somewhere else. She wondered what Rei Otohata was doing. Aya sighed to herself and looked around her big empty kitchen. Maybe Rei was just as lonely as she was. Even if he was lonely, he had no right to treat people the way he did. Aya could never treat anyone badly or with cruelty. Since she tried to be nice to everyone, people usually ended up bullying or making fun of her. The only friends she had were Ran, Miyu and Yuuya, but lately, they had been ditching her. They still said hi to her and talked to her, but they stopped inviting to places or to go shopping. Aya tried to understand them, though. They probably found her boring and too nerdy.

After Dylan was done eating, he walked over to Aya and started barking while wagging his tail rapidly. Aya snapped from her thoughts and smiled at him. "Do want to go for walk? Already?" Aya asked him, leaning down and scratching the back of his ears. "Alright, then. Let's go for a walk in the park."

Aya grabbed Dylan's black leash that was laying on the counter. She bent down and placed the leash in his collar. Then, Aya noticed a purple bruise around her wrist. That ugly guy from the alley must have done that to her. Those horrible memories came rushing to her, sending a shiver down her spine. Aya tried to shake it off as she stood up.

"Well, let's go, Dylan."Aya smiled as she walked toward the door. Before she walked out, she grabbed her cellphone from her purse. Then, she opened the door and walked out, completely forgetting to eat something herself.

…

There was a cold breeze in the park that made Aya's feet quiver. Of course, Dylan didn't mind the weather. He was just happy being outside. Aya walked down the sidewalk while the trees rustled with the wind. Dylan would stop every now and then to sniff something in the ground. Aya would just stand next to him, looking around the park.

The playground was empty. There were some people walking or running for exercise, but other than that, it was pretty deserted. Aya sighed started walking forward when Dylan starting moving around. The sun was starting to set, making the sky an orange yellow color. Big gray clouds were dragged across the sky, following the wind's movements. Then, Aya spotted a familiar figure a few feet away from her. Aya quickly pulled Dylan behind a tree and stood motionless.

Taking deep breaths, Aya peeked her eyes out and sure enough, she saw Rei Otohata walking by. Aya bit her lower lip, wondering if he had seen her. Aya shook her head sadly. He probably hadn't since he seemed so lost in thought. Aya watched him sigh as he sat down in a bench that was right in front of the tree she was standing behind off. Placing her hand on her chest, Aya could feel her heart starting to pound loudly. Despite the cold wind, Aya felt her face getting warmer and warmer. What in the world was Rei doing in the park at this hour? Maybe he had brought a little brother or sister?

Aya looked down at Dylan. He was laying down with his tongue out in the air and breathing calmly. She wondered how long he would stay like that. Rolling her eyes, Aya turned to look back at Rei. He had his hands behind his head as he stared up at the sky. Aya wondered what he was thinking about. She wondered if he was okay. His face seemed a little paler than before. Suddenly, Dylan started panting and stood up as he saw a butterfly fly by. Aya kneeled down next to him and started scratching the back of his ears so he could keep quiet. Then, she turned her attention back to Rei.

"Is he asleep?" Aya whispered to herself. There was no movement from him. Aya relaxed herself a bit when she heard him sigh heavily. Then, Aya saw her cellphone blink on. Looking at it, Aya noticed it was a text message from Ran, asking if she was home so that they could come over. Instead of replying her, Aya ignored it and turned back to look at Rei. She couldn't believe she was more interested in spying this guy than spending some time with her friends. She was definitely the worst.

Then, in an instant, Dylan started barking, startling Aya and causing her to fall back. Dylan barked some more and then started running off. Aya tried to grip on tightly to the leash, but for some reason, it slipped off her hand. Aya felt her face flush pale when she saw Dylan running over to Rei. It was all over. Dylan stood in front of Rei, barking and trying to get his attention. Aya saw as Rei sat up straight slowly and looked down. Then was taken aback when she saw Rei crouching down to pat Dylan in the head. Then, he looked up and stared straight forward. "Hey, why don't you just show your face." He said coldly.

Aya winced and stood up nervously. Then, she walked from behind the tree and stared at him shyly. Like always, he seemed angry. Aya gulped and took a few steps toward him. She grabbed Dylan's leash carefully, making sure that her eyes didn't come into contact with his. Sighing, Aya sat next to Dylan and made sure his leash was properly attached to his collar. After standing up, she shifted her eyes to Rei. "I'm very sorry. Dylan doesn't usually do that." Aya told him, pulling Dylan away from Rei.

"I wasn't asking and I don't care." He told her bluntly, standing up from the bench. "What the hell were you doing behind that tree? Were you spying on me?" Aya could hear the anger starting to build up in his voice.

"N-no! No, I wasn't" Aya stammered, looking down at her dog. "I'm sorry. Please forgive me." She didn't know what to say to him. It was obvious that she had been looking at him. She didn't know that he had noticed her spying on him. Aya could feel her face bright red and hot. "Dylan was using the restroom."

Rolling his eyes, Rei shook his head. "Whatever, just stop following me. I don't understand what your damn problem is. Leave me alone and stop stalking me."

"But, I'm not stalking you. I just happen to come across you." Aya couldn't believe Rei actually thought that about her. She wasn't following him, much less stalking him. "I was just walking Dylan. I don't like to take him out when it's late." Aya paused then look at him curiously. "What about you? How do I know that you're not following me?"

Rei smirked, placing his hand on his chin. "You're joking, right? Who in the world would be interested in ugly nerdy girl like you? Do you even have friends?"

Aya's eyes widen as she looked down at ground. She should already be used to this. Every time she talked to Rei, he ended up hurting her in some way or the other. Closing her eyes, Aya could hear Dylan barking as he jumped around, trying to catch a few dragonflies that would zoom by. "For your information, I do have friends." Aya looked straight at him with tears in her eyes. "Friends that you will never have in your entire life time. It's better to have a few friends than none at all."

Rei stood silence to Aya's pleasure. It probably stung him to hear her words of reality. Aya smiled as she turned to look at Dylan. "Let's go, Dylan. It's clear that we're not wanted." Aya pulled her dog gently and started walking away.

Sitting back down, Rei leaned his head on the back of the bench. That girl. Who was she really? Why did it seem like she was everywhere? Why did she want to help him? Why was she even talking to him when he kept shoving her away? Also, to make things worse, why couldn't he take her out of his mind?

To many questions, and no answers.

…

"What a cold hearted guy!" Aya stated as she plopped herself on the sofa. Dylan walked over to her and sat on top of her lap. Aya patted his fur down while he wagged his tail. "But, still, I feel bad after everything I said to him even after he said all those mean things to me." Dylan sat up and Aya hugged him like a baby. "Can you believe he actually said that I was nerdy? And top things off, he said I was ugly." Aya placed Dylan on the sofa and walked over to her bookshelf.

"He's handsome on the outside, but on the inside, he's an ugly person." Aya continued to say to Dylan, who was, of course, not paying attention to her.

Aya looked at the picture that on top of her bookshelf. It wasn't an ordinary picture. It was a family picture she and her family had taken back when they were a family. Her father and her mother were smiling as they stood on the right side. Aya was sitting down on a chair in the center with her big brother standing right next to her. She picked up the picture frame and hugged it tightly. Tears swelling in her eyes. She remembered those days and deep down in her heart, she wished she could return to the past. Of course, that was impossible. Sighing, Aya let go of the picture and placed it back in it's spot.

Then, Aya noticed the stack of books that were beside her family picture. She had gotten them from the library so she could study for the test. She had completely forgotten about them. Aya opened one and skimmed through it. If only Rei had one of these, then he could at least study on his own. Aya wondered if he even cared about school.

Suddenly, Aya felt a strange flutter in her heart. She didn't understand why her thoughts kept jumping on to Rei. She had barely met him today and yet, she couldn't stop thinking about him. With a determined face, Aya grabbed all her books and dropped them loudly on the table, causing Dylan to jump to his feet. Aya smiled and shook her head. "Sorry, Dylan. Didn't mean to scare you. Go to sleep, now."

Aya walked over to her bag and pulled out a clean journal. She flipped through the pages to make sure that it didn't have anything written on it. After checking, Aya walked back to the table and sat down on a chair.

She knew that Rei didn't want her to tutor him or help him out with anything, so she decided to make him a study guide. She could write down all the notes, tips, problems he needed to know for the test. Opening the journal, Aya grabbed her pencil and started to write down everything that Rei probably didn't know. She wrote it simple so Rei could understand it and so that he might actually feel encouraged to study. She would write a math problem, followed by a step by step process on how to solve it. Then, below it, she would write similar problems so he could try to solve them on his own.

Time ticked by while Aya kept on working. She didn't know exactly why she was doing it. She just wanted to help Rei and win his trust, so they could be friends. If he tried, Aya knew that Rei could be a very kind person. Every person is kind by nature or at least her brother had told her so. She also wanted to say sorry for all the mean things she had said to him.

After a couple of hours, Aya was finished. She closed all the books and looked at Rei's study guide. She had done a pretty good job, she just hoped Rei would at least take a look at it. Standing up, Aya stretched her hands in the air. She looked around and found Dylan fast asleep on the sofa. Smiling, Aya walked over to him and moved some hair from his closed eyelids. "You poor thing," Aya whispered to him. Aya was about to lay down next to him when she heard her stomach rumbling. She placed her hand on her stomach and closed her eyes.

Aya sighed and checked her watch. It was already past midnight; she couldn't possibly eat dinner now. Aya walked over to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Either way, there was nothing to eat. Aya grabbed the gallon of milk and a cup. She poured herself some milk and placed it back in the refrigerator. After she drank it, Aya sighed again. A glass of milk wasn't really a good dinner, but it at least calmed her down a bit.

Looking down at herself, Aya realized that she was still in her Hounan uniform. She walked out the kitchen and went upstairs. She changed into her pajamas, brushed her teeth, and went back downstairs. She carefully picked up a sleeping Dylan, but despite her efforts, he still woke up. Aya carried him, placing him on top of her shoulder while her hand touched his back. She took him upstairs and into her room. She placed him on the bed as she sat down. Aya watched Dylan do several turns before he laid down and fell asleep again. Aya laid her head on the pillow and slowly began to close her eyes.

She looked at the ceiling while she pulled a blanket on top of her. "Goodnight, mom. Goodnight, dad." Aya paused before she turned her body sideways slowly, making sure she didn't hit Dylan. "Goodnight, brother." Aya closed her eyes and just before she fell asleep she whispered to the air, " Goodnight, Rei, wherever you are."

…

At school, Aya sat down in her desk and kept a close eye on the doorway. She waited for Rei to come in. Her face secretly lit up, when she saw him. He looked as casual as usual with his brown hair covering part of his eyes. Aya smiled as she gripped on the journal that lay in her lap, but then she slowly frowned. She couldn't give it him now. There was no way he would ever accept it with all these people watching. Aya secretly slid the journal back in her school bag. She sighed as she watched him sit down. She couldn't even get herself to say hi.

…

"Hey! Otohata-kun! Please wait!" Aya called him as she watched him walk outside the school gate. Aya ran next to him, panting and trying to catch her breath. She looked up at him with a smile.

"What the hell do want? Didn't I tell you to not bother me?" Rei asked her as he lifted an eyebrow. Aya watched as his hands slid into his pockets. Blushing, Aya opened her bag and started to look for the journal she had worked so hard on. She moved several books around until she finally found it. Aya's worried frown turned into a warm smile. Pulling it out, Aya sighed with relief. "So, what do you want? You're wasting my time. I'm leaving."

Rei was about to turn around when Aya stopped him. "No, wait! Don't leave." She exclaimed, grabbing on to his arm. Then she noticed, Rei's eyes had widen as he looked down at her hand pressed down in his arm. Blushing, Aya quickly let go. "Ah, I'm s-sorry!" Aya stuttered, gripping tightly on the journal. She was surprised when she received no response from him.

"Oh, right!" Aya suddenly said, holding out the journal to him. "Here. I made this for you." Rei looked at the journal curiously before grabbing it while Aya's heart pounded rapidly. She could feel her legs trembling with nervousness. Rei didn't say anything as he continued to stare at the journal in her hands. "Please, take it. If you do, it will mean a lot to me."

Rei hesitated to grab it. "What is it?"

"Well, I know you don't want me to help you, but please take it. It's a study guide. If you go through it, I'm sure you'll be ready for the test. It's like a review, I guess." Aya told him without looking at him. What would she do if he turned it down? She had worked so hard on it.

Rei grabbed it and opened it to Aya's surprise. She watched him as he carefully flipped through the pages. "And this is suppose to help me?"

Aya blinked slowly as she stared at the ground. "Yeah, it is. It's better than all those thick wordy books that really don't explain things properly. If you go through all of it, I'm sure you'll be okay for the day of the test."

Closing it, Rei looked at her. Aya blushed a deep shade of red as she looked around. Luckily, there wasn't anyone around. If any girl would catch her talking to Rei, she would never hear the end of it. Her eyes looked back to Rei. He was looking away from her while he scratched the back of his head.

"Thank you." He suddenly blurted out, quietly.

Aya couldn't help, but smile at him. "You're very welcome. If you there's something you don't get, then you can always ask me." Aya paused, placing her small hand on Rei's arm. "I'm sorry about what I said yesterday. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." To her surprise, Rei didn't say anything, but took a step away from her. "Well, I'll get going then."

She took a few steps forward and then turned to wave at him. After receiving no response, Aya turned back around and walked away. Smiling happily, Aya looked up at the sky. "Could this mean that were friends?" She asked herself.

Rei stood in silent as he watched that girl leave. He had told her to stay away from him, but she didn't listen to him. She wasn't like the other people. That girl wasn't afraid of him. Rei looked at the journal that girl had given him. He wondered how long it had taken her to make it. No one ever think of doing such thing for someone. Then again, that girl was so weird. She said sorry for everything when things weren't even her fault. Then he didn't understand why she was trying so hard to be friends. He had no interest in having friends in the very least.

Maybe, though, he's willing to make an exception just for her.

* * *

><p>TBC..<p> 


	3. With an Unlocked Door

**Gals!**

_Hey, folks! Here, I am. Updating yet again._

_I'm getting a lot of ideas for this story and for When I'm With You._

_Hopefully, this meets your expections. I'm going to try to update very soon._

_Also, feel free to review. _

* * *

><p><strong>Opposite Attractions<strong>

**Chapter 3 – With an Unlocked Door**

The day had finally come to an end to Aya's pleasure. All morning she had been listening to Nakanishi's lesson, but unfortunately, she didn't understand most of it. Her mind wasn't wasn't functioning properly because of the presence of Rei Otohata. Every once in a while, Aya would glance at him and get lost in a vivid fantasy.

"Aya!" Ran hollered, placing her foot on Aya's desk. "Come on! Snap out of it, girl!" Aya numbly looked at Ran. Crossing her hands, Ran placed her face closer to Aya's. "Hey, Aya! We're gonna go hang out and do some shopping! You should come with us."

Shifting uncomfortably, Aya looked away from Ran. "I would love to go, but I can't. I have to to the library and study." Aya paused as her eyes shifted to her hands that were laying in her lap. "And also, I'm not really feeling in the mood to go shopping." Aya picked up her school and placed it on top of her desk. Then, she started gathering her books and papers.

Miyu walked over next to Aya, placing a hand on her shoulder. Aya looked up at her, surprisingly. "Are you feeling okay, Aya? Lately, you've seemed kind of down and a bit depressed." Yuuya peeked his head from behind Ran and nodded. "I agree with Miyu. Is something wrong?"

Aya smiled as she felt a small pink blush forming on her cheeks. It was nice to have friends that cared for you. She had once thought that Ran and the others were starting to ditch her, but Aya realized that she was wrong. It was the other way around. She was ditching them. She always found some excuse so she wouldn't have to tag along with them. Sighing, Aya couldn't believe what a horrible person she was. They really seemed worried about her. If she didn't change her attitude toward them, then she might end up losing them forever. Then, she'd end up being a sad and lonely person like Rei.

"I'm sorry to have made you worry." Aya stood up slowly, smiling. "I'm fine, really. How about I hang out with you guys tomorrow? Does that sound, okay?"

Ran gave her a goofy smile and placed her foot back on the ground. "That's the spirit, Aya! We'll go shopping tomorrow and then we'll go find you a boyfriend!" Ran nudged on Aya's arm as she winked at her, making Aya blush.

"Ran! What are you saying! Maybe you should find a boyfriend!" Aya giggled as she watched Ran stick her tongue out. "That's funny, Aya. Real funny." Ran stated with sarcasm. Yuuya of course laughed nervously, wondering if Aya would tell Ran that he liked her.

"Well, we should get going then?" Miyu asked, placing her index in her mouth. "Miyu has to call Yamato and tell him that Miyu loves him!" Ran rolled her eyes and placed her fingers in her ears, ignoring Miyu claims. Miyu smiled as she placed her hands together. "Miyu loves Yamato so much! I hope he comes along with us!"

"No one besides you wants him around." Ran stated with an annoyed face. "C'mon! Tatsuki-chi is probably waiting!" Ran grabbed Miyu's hand and dragged her outside the classroom, leaving a perplexed Yuuya behind.

"And there she goes." Yuuya said, looking at Aya with a crooked smile. "I guess I can't really compete with that stupid monkey boy. He really annoys me. Out of no where he just appears and now, he's ruining everything. Before I know it, my only chance with her just..." Yuuya scratched the back of his head as he looked up at the ceiling.

"Oh, Yuuya. I'm sorry. I don't know what to say." Aya looked down. "I hope everything works out. I really don't like to see you looking so sad. It's not like you. You're always so happy and full of life. Makes me a bit envious."

Smiling, Yuuya took a few steps toward her a smiled shyly. "Thank you, Aya-chan. You're just about the nicest person I know. Thanks to Ran I got the pleasure of meeting you." Yuuya pinched her nose and gave out a little laugh. "I also don't like to see you sad. You're prettier when you smile."

Blushing, Aya smiled nervously. Her heart began to pound with rapid speed. "I can't believe that Ran doesn't see what a great guy you are. Besides being a cool person, you're a great friend."

Unexpectedly, Yuuya leaned his face closer to Aya, making her turn bright red. "Aya-chan. It would be great if I ended up falling for you, wouldn't it?" He told her quietly, grabbing her hand and wrapping his fingers around hers. To Aya's surprise, she went along with him.

Never in her life had she ever been so close to guy like the way she was now. Yuuya was only inches away from her and to make matters more nerve wrecking, Yuuya was holding her hand. It felt so warm and soft, it made Aya's heart flutter. There was no way though, that Yuuya would end up falling for her. She couldn't compare herself to Ran. Why would Yuuya take the chance to be with her, when there were girls like Ran out there? Aya suddenly felt the urge to get away from Yuuya's grasp, but she didn't move. It was weird because Aya had never considered Yuuya as anything more than a friend. She had never thought of the possibility of going out with him. The reason she had thought that was because she knew that no guy would ever be interested in a nerdy girl like her.

"Yuuya, please don't say things like that. I'm not used to this." Aya told him, looking away. This was just to much for her to handle. "You should get going. Ran is probably looking for you."

Smiling, Yuuya gave Aya's hand a squeeze. "Yeah, you're right. She'll kill me if I don't go." Yuuya laugh nervously before letting go of Aya's small hand. "I'm sorry about making you uncomfortable. I didn't mean too."

"Oh, no. Don't worry about it. I'm just a bit childish." Aya told him, but despite what he said, Yuuya was still a bit too close to her.

Then, their eyes met. Aya got lost in Yuuya's gaze and her mind went blank. She could feel her cheeks getting warmer. She didn't understand what Yuuya was doing. Hadn't he just told her that he liked Ran? Before she knew it, Yuuya had gently grabbed her shoulders and was pulling her slowly toward him. Blushing, Aya stood still, trying to comprehend the whole situation. The moment Yuuya was going to press his lips against hers, Aya closed her eyes and waited.

"Hey, you!" Aya suddenly heard someone say from the doorway.

Her eyes widen when she saw Rei standing in the doorway with his hands crossed and a stern face. Blushing madly, Aya quickly jerked away from Yuuya. When she turned to look back at Rei, Aya saw that he had already left. Sadness quickly sinked in her heart.

"I'm sorry, Yuuya! I have to go now. I'll see you tomorrow." Aya grabbed her bag before she walked out the class with super speed. Without a moment of hesitation, Aya rushed out the door, looking for Rei.

Aya walked down the hallway, trying to spot Rei somewhere. There was no sign of him, though. When Aya turned the corner and was about to walk toward the entrance doors, when she saw him. He was leaning against the wall with his hands crossed while his eyes looked down. With her heart racing, Aya approached him and stopped when she stood a few feet away from him. Of course, he didn't bother to look up at her. He stood completely still, ignoring her presence. Aya's lower lip began to quiver with nervousness as she looked at him. Gulping, Aya gathered up her courage to talk to him.

"Um, Otohata-kun?" Aya said, fearfully. She placed her hands behind her back and tilted her head a little to get a better glimpse of him. "Did you need anything?"

He smirked and gave her dark glare. "No. Didn't mean to interrupt you and your little boyfriend."

Aya shook her head rapidly while her face flushed with embarrassment. "No, you're wrong. Yuuya isn't my boyfriend. He likes my friend, Ran. He was asking me for some advice because he doesn't seem to have the courage to tell Ran how he feels! There's nothing going on between us." Aya paused, placing her fist on top of her chest. "He's just my friend. That's all."

"I didn't ask for an explanation." Rei told her bluntly. "I don't care what you do. It's none of my concern."

Aya was taken aback by Rei's words, but suddenly realized that he was saying the truth. He never asked her about Yuuya and yet, she quickly told Rei that she and Yuuya were just friends. Also, the moment Rei had seen them together, Aya quickly went out to look for him so she could explain the situation to him. In her mind, Aya cursed at herself. She looked like a total fool. Rei didn't care about her that way.

"I'm sorry. I guess, I just got carried away." Aya looked at her feet. "But, you did call out to me, didn't you? Did you need something?"

"It's fine. I'll figure it out on my own." Rei stared at her coldly, before standing up straight. "It seems you're a bit busy. You should get going. I have better things to do than to waste my time looking at your pathetic face." He pushed her aside and started walking away, leaving behind a torn Aya.

Placing her hand over her mouth, Aya tried to contain her tears. Rei had finally wanted to ask her for her help and he found her almost kissing Yuuya. How could she? What did he think of her now? Aya let a tear fall as she leaned her hand against the wall where Rei had stood. How could she possibly fix things now? Barely, when she thought that she gaining Rei's friendship, Aya made him upset. He was actually going to ask her for help, but then decided not too. Aya didn't understand why he had gotten so mad.

"Now, what's going to happen?" Aya asked herself, a bit depressed. She opened her bag and pulled out her cellphone. If she had Rei's number, she would send him a text saying sorry. Then, Aya stiffen. Why would she need to say sorry? She hadn't done anything wrong. She hadn't offended Rei in any way. She had no reason to say sorry. Shaking her head, Aya stood up straight and started to walk toward the door.

She wondered why Rei had gotten so mad. She should have asked him before he had left. Aya opened the door and stepped outside in the fresh air. All well. She had to go to library to study. She had to get Rei out of her mind and focus in important matters like school. She probably wouldn't be seeing Rei until tomorrow or unless she accidentally sees him during her walk with Dylan. Rubbing her eyes, Aya stopped walking when she realized she was standing right in front of the school gate.

Looking around, Aya's mind slowly drifted to Rei. This had been the exact spot where he had accepted the study guide she had made for him. The moment he took the journal in his hands, Aya felt such great happiness. It was unlike any feeling she had ever felt before. "Oh, Rei." She said to herself while a tear streamed down her cheeks. "Why do I think about you?"

Little did she know that Rei was watching her from a distance.

…

Once in the library, Aya walked to a table that was located deep in the center. She placed her bag on top of the table and looked around. There was not a lot people, making the library as peaceful as ever. Of course, Aya thought of those words too soon. In matter of seconds, she noticed two girls that were walking toward her. Aya tried to act like she didn't see them but it was no good. They were coming straight toward her.

"Hey, Aya." A girl named Yuri Akiyama said to her in sarcastic tone. She had short black her and her face was heavily packed with make-up. Aya had known her since grade school, but they hardly ever talked unless Yuri needed something from her. "So, listen. I'm going to need a favor from you. My teacher assigned this super mega project that is going to count a big percentage of our grade. I need you ...No, let's rephrase that. Your going to do my project for me."

Gulping, Aya tried to remain strong. "And, just why would I do that? I have things to do myself."

Yuri smiled at her and took a few steps toward her. Then, startling Aya, she grabbed her forcefully by the wrist. "If you don't do what I fucking say, I'll make you regret it. You'll regret every disobeying me." Aya closed her eyes tightly as Yuri's grip increased.

Why did things like these always happen to her? No matter how strong or brave she tried to be, Aya would always give in to their pleading. Even though she didn't want to admit it, these kinds of things really frighten her. She was always bullied and treated badly by her classmates. It was really no surprise, but Aya wished all of that could just magically disappear one day.

"Oh, also," The girl continued, gripping on Aya's wrist tighter. "You better not tell your little friend Ran about this. If you do, I promise to get you back. Do you understand?"

Aya didn't say anything, but a tear did manage to escape her eyes. Yuri sighed with frustration and grabbed on to Aya's hair. She began to pull on it from the roots. If she wasn't in the library, Aya would probably be crying like crazy. "Are you going to do my project or not, dammit!"

"Why the hell would she have to your damn project? Do it your yourself, dumb ass."

Aya opened her eyes and saw him. The man of her dreams. Rei Otohata was standing right in front of them with his hands clutched into fists. Anger steaming out. Aya quickly pushed Yuri off her and ran towards Rei. Out of an impulse, Aya grabbed his uniform sleeve and leaned her head on his arm. Surprisingly, the cold hearted Rei Otohata didn't seem to object. Instead of pushing her away, he let her. His eyes, though, remained on the two girls that had been messing with her.

"Rei Otohata." Yuri said, frighten. "What are you doing here? Don't tell me you and Aya..."

"Shut the fuck up." He snapped at her, of course, not to loudly considering the fact that they were in the library. "Who the hell do you think you are? Do you feel superior when your messing around with people? You have no damn life, so you pick on people to make yourself feel better." Rei gave her an evil smirk. "People like you disgust me."

Yuri gasped and grabbed her friend's arm, scared. "I'm sorry, Rei! It won't happen again. I promise to leave Aya alone." Yuri pulled her friend and together, they ran off.

Aya buried her face in her hands after she let go of Rei. How could she possibly get herself to face him? He actually stood up for her. No one had ever done that to her. After years of being bullied by Yuri, Rei appears and changes everything. Aya didn't know how to thank him.

"Damn. Can't you ever just stand up for yourself? You can't depend your life on others. If you keep this up, you'll end up dead by the age of 25." Rei told her in a normal tone of voice instead of his usual cold mean voice. "Stop crying, already. It's getting on my nervous."

"Otohata-kun. Thank you so much." Aya told him sweetly as she smiled at him. "I will never forget everything that you have done for me. I'm so grateful you appeared in my life."

That was the first time Rei heard someone saying thank you for his existence.

"She would always bully me and make fun of me. I never understood why she developed such deep hatred for me. Since grade school, Yuri would constantly tease me and find ways to put me down. Of course, I never had the guts to tell her to stop. I always hoped that one day she would just stop on her own." Aya paused and wiped some of her tears away. "I don't understand why she hates me. It just makes me feel so sad."

Rei shoved his hands in his pockets and looked away. "I wasn't asking."

Aya smiled at him. "Oh, right! I'm sorry. I'm still happy that you at least listened. That kind of proves that you do care, you know?" She let out a small laugh to Rei's annoyance.

"Fine. Whatever." Rei looked at the ground.

Aya sighed before looking at the window. "I hope she doesn't bother me again. I don't want Ran to know about this because she will probably beat the girl up. It's funny how after all the things she ever did to me, I still don't want Ran to hurt or harm Yuri. I can't get myself to hate her. And yet, Yuri despises me."

"You shouldn't let that get you down." Rei suddenly said, surprising Aya and himself. "She probably holds a grudge against you because she's jealous of you."

"Jealous of me?" Aya asked curiously. "That can't possibly be. Why would she ever be jealous of me? You said so yourself that I was ugly, nerdy, and pathetic."

Rei growled in frustration. "I was lying, okay? You're a really good person."

Aya looked at him with her eyes full of surprise. He called her a good person. That was probably one of the nicest things Rei had ever said to her. For some unfamiliar reason, Aya felt happy. Not only had Rei just defended her, he was also showing her a bit more kindness. Her heart really felt happy about it. "Really? You really think so?" Aya smiled at him and clasped her hands together. "I'm so happy, then!"

Rolling his eyes, Rei shook his head. "Don't get so full of yourself. It was just a thought. And don't expect that so often."

"Of course, of course!" Aya exclaimed cheerfully, hitting her head gently with her fist. "I'll try to keep that in mind. By the way Otohata-kun, what are you doing here? You don't seem like the type of person that would spend their day at the library."

"Are you saying that I'm not allowed to come here?" Rei grunted as he crossed his hands. "I do what I want, not that it's any of your business."

Aya shrugged and walked over to the table were her books laid. Then, she opened one and flipped through the pages. "I didn't mean it like that, you know. I was just asking out of curiosity." Then, her face lit up a bit. "Hey, do want to come look for a book with me? I came here to study really, but I also like reading for fun."

Rei shook his head while he closed his eyes. Who the hell reads for fun? Not him. "No, thanks. You go."

"Alright, then." Aya walked away from table and took a quick glance at Rei. "Are you going to stay here?"

"Most likely." He replied strictly.

Aya wondered what Rei was doing at the library. It was obvious he didn't like school, much less a quiet library. There had to be some sort of motive that would drive Rei to come here, but what? What could he possibly be looking for? Aya looked at him. He wasn't carrying anything at all. He didn't have his school bag, his books, or anything. At first, Aya had thought that maybe he was here to study. That somehow she had encouraged him to do so. Since he didn't have anything with him, that possibility quickly drowned away. It was a bit strange. A smile faintly appeared across Aya's face. Could it be that he just came to give her some company? Aya sighed and shook her thoughts away. She highly doubted that.

"Well, I'm going to look for a book, then. Feel free to sit down in the table." Aya motioned to him, but, of course, he didn't budge. "I'll be right back, okay?" Rei stood motionless. Aya took a quick turn and walked away.

Scanning through the books on the shelf, Aya couldn't her mind of Rei. She wondered if he was sitting down in the table, waiting for her. Her face blushed at that thought. It sure would be nice of him. Maybe, if he wanted to, they could study together.

Usually, Aya would take her sweet time looking at each book and choosing the right one to read. This time, though, she wanted to quickly get back to the table. She couldn't wait to see if Rei was still there or not. Still, somehow she managed not to get her hopes up to high. Rei didn't seem like the type of person that would heed other people's request. He had such big pride and ego that Aya could practically sense it. It suited him well, though.

Aya stopped in front of a bookshelf and slid her finger across the book's spines. She read each title carefully before taking it out. Sighing, Aya found nothing that really interested her. In fact, she wasn't really in the mood to read. What was wrong with her?

In that moment, Aya didn't want to read, she wanted to be with Rei. She wanted to talk to him and be friends with him. He was already starting talk to her with more ease, but Aya wasn't satisfied with that. She wanted him to give her his full trust. The fact that he was lonely and possibly hurt, made Aya want to know about him and help him out. Smiling to herself, Aya turned her attention back to the books. She had finally found something more interesting than books; Rei Otohata.

"This one is perfect." Aya said to herself, looking up at the books in the upper shelf. It was a book about different countries. It showed all different and beautiful landscapes the world had to offer. Aya loved living in Japan, but she also loved learning about different places and cultures. For some reason, it just fascinated her.

Aya tried to grab the book that had caught her attention, but she couldn't reach it. She stood on her tip toes and stretched her hand as far as she could. Of course, it was pointless, because she still couldn't reach. It wasn't that she was short, the shelf was just too high. "Just perfect." She whispered to herself.

When Aya was about to jump to grab the book, she was surprised to see a hand grab it for her. She quickly turned around, and saw Rei standing behind her. He dropped the book in her hand and grumbled something under his breath. Aya, of course, was lost in her bubble of happiness. "Ah, thank you so much, Otohata-kun!"

"Heh. You need to stop depending on people, girl." Rei told her as he watched her smile.

It was strange how he caused fear in mostly everyone. No one dared to mess with him or defy him, but that girl was different. She wasn't afraid of him. His cold words and attitude didn't drive her away from him. That was the purpose of his cold exterior. He wanted people away from him. He didn't want anyone getting to close to his personal life.

But now, that girl was breaking all the barriers.

* * *

><p>TBC...<p> 


	4. When the Mist Disappears

**Gals!**

_Hey, people! I'm here with chapter 4! _

_ I would have updated this story sooner, but school gets in the way._

_I'm glad to know people are reading it, though! It makes me happy!_

_Well, hope this meets your expectations!_

_Enjoy! _

* * *

><p><strong>Opposite Attractions<strong>

**Chapter 4 – When the Mist Disappears**

Aya sipped on her drink with a straw as she looked around. The place was pretty much empty. Ran had taken her, Miyu, and Yuuya to a fast food restaurant, but, of course, she didn't pay for anything and forced Yuuya to so. Aya had no choice but to tag along. They had spent all day shopping together and Aya couldn't help but feel tired. Ran and Miyu had bought a lot of clothes and cute accessories. Aya didn't buy anything since she lacked the money.

The four of them were relaxing themselves a bit now. It had been a while since they had last hanged out like that. They ate their lunch while they talked and laughed together. Aya was in another world, though. She placed her head on her hand as she looked outside the window and into the street. Her mind and her heart thinking about Rei Otohata.

For some strange reason, Rei had not gone to school that day. Aya was surprise to not see Rei enter the classroom. She wondered where he was and if he was okay. If she had his number, she would give him a call. What if he was sick? What if he got himself into problems? Aya sighed and hoped that Rei was okay.

"Um, Aya?" Aya turned to see Miyu sitting right next to her. She hadn't even noticed her there. Aya faintly smiled at her, but Miyu's face expression didn't change. "Aya you seem a bit distracted. Is everything okay?"

Aya nodded and took another sip from her drink. She looked up and saw that Ran and Yuuya, who were sitting right across from her, were staring at her. Aya's mouth let go of the straw and she smiled at them. "I'm fine, guys. I'm sorry for making you guys worry. I don't mean to. I'm just a little worried about exams, I guess. My studying isn't going to well." She wasn't entirely lying. Ever since Rei appeared, concentrating in school or studying had become a lot harder.

"You shouldn't push yourself too hard, Aya. If you stress yourself over it, things will turn out worse." Miyu told, taking a bit from her sandwich. After she chewed and swallowed her food, Miyu turned to look back at Aya. "If you need anything, remember you can count on us."

Aya knew she could count on them. They had repeated that phrase to her so many times. "Yeah, I know." Aya told them, placing her hands on top of the table and leaning forward. "I'm so glad I have friends like you guys. I don't know what I would do without you guys." A warm smile formed across Aya's face to Miyu's happiness.

Laughing a bit, Ran placed her bowl of noodles on the table and grabbed Aya's hand. "That's good to know, Aya! We love you too!" Ran gave her a goofy looking smile that made Aya snicker.

"Oh, thanks guys. You make me feel so much better." Aya told them happily and with a totally different attitude. "I'm so glad I came with you guys today even though I didn't buy anything."

"It's cool. We're also glad you came along. Things aren't the same without you around. Lately, you've been spending a lot of time on your own." Yuuya told her with a smile on his face that made Aya blush. It was weird to hear Yuuya say something like that to her. Aya sighed and placed her head on both of her hands. Usually, he would only pay attention to Ran.

"You need start having fun and going out more often. If you don't, then you'll become a Rei Otohata." Ran stated as she took a bite out of her sandwich that was sitting next to her empty bowl of noodles.

Aya accidenlty choked on her drink and coughed a little before sitting up straight. She looked at Ran with a concerned face. "What is that suppose to mean?" Aya asked her calmly, but deep down inside, she could sense a tint of anger developing. She didn't understand why Ran would say something like that.

"Well, you know, that guy that sits next to you? He's a block of ice. He doesn't let anyone near him. He keeps everything to himself." Ran grabbed her drink and took a big gulp out of it. "Talking to him feels like you're talking to wall. He has no friends. He's always alone and he likes it that way. In my opinion, he's just a stuck up."

Without really noticing, Aya's small hands turned into fists after hearing Ran's words. It was true that Rei didn't have any friends, but that didn't mean he was a stuck up. In Aya's opinion, Rei just has problems expressing himself.

"Ran, you shouldn't talk about him like that when you don't know him." Aya struggled to get her words out. This was the first time she would talk against Ran. "I'm sure he has his reasons. You shouldn't judge a person until you get to know them."

Everyone sat in silence as they watched Aya's face turn bright red. Aya looked away, feeling the stares of the others on her. Suddenly, Ran busted out laughing uncontrollably. All their eyes turned to her. "Ha, Aya! It almost seems you like this block of ice! It's hilarious!" Ran rubbed her eyes as she tried to calm herself down. "That would be something! Aya liking a guy like Rei Otohata? There is no way that could happen, though. You guys are the total opposite!"

"Total opposites? Why do say that?" Aya asked her curiously, shifting her eyes to the red streaked girl. Aya always knew that she and Rei thought very differently, but she would have never imagined that they were the total opposites. She always just figured that they were different.

"You've never heard of the stories that are being said about him?" Miyu asked Aya with a concerned face. Lifting an eyebrow, Aya shook her head and looked from Ran to Miyu. "That's pretty strange." Miyu stated as she placed her finger on top of her chin. "They've been going around since he arrived."

All those stories were probably nothing but rumors. When people have nothing to do, they start doing things they're not suppose to. Aya wondered if Rei knew all things that were being said about him. "Okay, so what are they saying about him?"

Miyu thought about it for a second and then looked at Aya. "He was kicked out of his old school because of rude behavior. Also, he was a pretty violent person. He would pick a fight with almost anyone. If you crossed his path, you'd be goner."

A chill ran down Aya's spine. "How do you know all that about him? I mean for all we know they could just be rumors. People always talk without knowing the real facts." Aya wanted to convince herself more than her friends. The fact that Rei had been kicked out of his old school seemed very believable. His behavior was a bit mean, but not to the point were you can call it violent.

"It's not a rumor, Aya." Ran said after swallowing the cookie in her mouth. "I heard the principle talking about that to. They didn't want accept Rei into the school because of his violent record not only inside the school, but outside too."

"But," Yuuya interrupted her, to Ran's annoyance. "Nakanishi convinced him. He said if the school could handle Ran, then it could handle anyone." Ran growled as she lifted her fists in the air. Aya would have laughed at the sight of Ran, but she felt to sad to say or do anything.

"Also," Miyu blurted out, hoping to snap Ran and Aya from their thoughts. "Miyu has heard that Rei doesn't have a home. That he lives in the streets." Aya silently gasped as she slowly placed her hand on top of her mouth. "Miyu doesn't know if it's true or not." She turned to look at the surprised Aya. "Maybe, you're right. They're probably all rumors."

Ran shrugged her shoulders and grabbed another cookie. "Whatever. We know for sure that he's crazy violent. My bro has encountered him several times. He's always trying to pick a fight with someone. It's like he had nothing better to do." Ran placed the cookie in her mouth. "That's why he has no friends. They're probably all scared of him. It's no surprise either."

"But who can blame him?" Yuuya stated, giving Aya a quick glance. "He's probably been through some pretty tough situations. People say that he has no parents. That they just left him."

"I've heard that both his parents died in a car accident." Ran said after swallowing her food. "The only reason that he didn't die was because he was staying at his aunt's house." Ran wrapped herself with her hands. "That's pretty scary."

A tear silently escaped from Aya's eyes. She would have never imagined Rei to be going through such things. She knew that there was still a chance that all those stories could just be rumors, but here was still a chance that they could all be true. That could be the reason for his cold and mean exterior. If it was true, then she wouldn't know what to do. How could she help him if he didn't want her too? Aya wiped her tears so that the others wouldn't notice. Instead of all these stories scaring her, they encouraged her to be near Rei. He's alone in the world with no one to tell him what's right and what's wrong. He has no one to get advice from. He has no one to encourage him to go to school. He has no one to tell him how special he is.

"Poor Rei." Aya said, a bit too loud that caught everyone's attention. Aya blushed and turned to look at the window. "I wonder if he's heard of all these things that are being said about him. I wonder what he thinks about it." Aya sighed while her heart ache. "I wonder if he's okay since he didn't come to school today."

Ran stared at Aya with suspicious eyes. "Who knows? He's probably somewhere all beat up or drunk. I mean he lives with no rules, right? He could do as he pleases, including skipping school." Ran smirked to herself. "I guess he's lucky in way. He's probably with his girl right now."

With her eyes widen, Aya turned to look at Ran. How could she say things like that? Then again, Aya had never thought of possibility of Rei having a girlfriend. For some reason, it made her a bit sad because that would mean that he wouldn't really need her.

When she Aya's worried face, Miyu's senses quickly told her that Aya liked or felt something for Rei. It was written all over her face. "Miyu doubts he has a girlfriend. In fact, it'd be strange if any girl would try to get near him. It's true he's very good looking, but he has such mean way to treat others." Aya sighed with a bit of relief, placing her arms on top of the table.

"Yeah, whatever. All know is that he's bad news." Ran stated drinking the last bit of soda that was in her cup. "He does whatever he wants whenever he wants. He doesn't give damn about anything."

Aya shook her head slowly to everyone's surprise. "It might be true. All that stuff you said about him might be true." Aya looked down at her lap. "But, he's still human. He has feelings and emotions. I'm sure he doesn't mean to be the way he is. Maybe he wants to change, but he can't. The pain he must be going through is probably unbearable."

Ran gave Aya a serious look. "Listen, pain or no pain, he has no right to treat people the way he does. I know that you're trying to understand and feel sorry for him, but I say that you shouldn't. He treats people like shit. He doesn't deserve anyone's sympathy." Ran crossed her hands while closing her eyes.

"You can't say that about him!" Aya exclaimed with a tint of anger in her voice. "He has no one, Ran. No one understands him. Maybe all he needs is someone to talk to. All he needs is a friend." Ran looked at Aya's eyes. They were getting ready to burst in tears.

Ran stood up and slammed her hand in the table, making Aya and the others jump a little. Ran wasn't playing around anymore. She looked serious. "Aya, you better stay away from him! He's not a person you want to mingle with! I'm telling you this now so you won't get hurt. That guy is straight up violent. He doesn't share the same feelings you do! He doesn't give a damn about anyone." Ran paused as she furrowed her eyebrows. "Stay away from him, Aya. He'll just mess around you."

"No, Ran." Aya stood up as well, grabbing her purse. "I don't know why you have that opinion from him when you haven't even talked to him. He's not a bad person. He might have been violent in the past, but that doesn't mean that he's like that today."

Everyone stood in silent as they watched Aya timidly blush. It was strange to see her speak out like that. It didn't seem like her at all. Sighing, Aya pushed some of her hair of her face. "I got to go. I need to go check on Dylan and I have to study. I'll see you guys tomorrow." With that, Aya grabbed her empty cup, threw it in the trash and walked away, silently.

After Aya left, Ran sat down a bit surprise. Miyu and Yuuya stared at her. "I would have never expected that. She looked so determined. So confident in what she was saying." Ran said as she looked Miyu. "It scared me. I should have kept my mouth shut."

Miyu nodded, rolling her eyes. "That's always you're problem. Aya seemed very distracted today, anyways. She's probably having problems of her own and that's why she feels like she can understand Rei. Her parents are never around. They're always working or traveling abroad, leaving Aya all alone."

Miyu sighed as she shifted her self uncomfortably in her seat. "They don't pay attention to Aya ever since that incident with her older brother."

"But, it still doesn't make any sense." Ran shook her head as she pulled out her cellphone to check the time. "I mean, why would she go out of her way to defend that jerk, Rei? He's so not worth her breath. She's over here saying that I don't know him, but she doesn't know him either."

"That's were you're mistaken Ran." Yuuya suddenly blurted after being quiet for quite some time. He had his hand on his chin that made him seem like he was thinking. The girls stared at him as they waited for him to finish his statement, but to their disappointed, he didn't. Yuuya was starting to regret his words because he knew that Ran would be angry if she knew that Rei and Aya were already starting to be friends.

"What do you mean by that?" Ran asked him, lifting an eyebrow. Miyu nodded as sign to indicate that she was wondering the same thing.

"Well," Yuuya started off nervously. "Yesterday, I was talking to Aya after you guys had left. Then, when we were about to kiss, Rei suddenly came in and stopped us. At first I didn't get it, but then I was surprise to see Aya run out and go after him. She seemed really worried, more than scared. Anyways, my point is that I think they're already friends."

As soon as he was finished, Yuuya felt Ran's boot slam him straight in the face. "What the hell do you mean 'we were about to kiss'! Don't tell you were trying to hit on Aya because if you are, I'll kill you! Don't mess with her, idiot! If you want to kiss her, you have to be her boyfriend! And clearly, you're not!" Ran took her foot off Yuuya, allowing him to breath again.

Taking big gulps of air, Yuuya scooted away from Ran all the way to the wall. "Ran! Don't get the wrong idea! It was out of impulse! I don't know what came over me in that moment! I don't really like her!"

"Dumb ass! Don't play around with her feelings! She takes things seriously, you know!" Ran hollered at him, but then she had to calm down when the manger of the place told her to keep her voice down. "You better not be screwing around with her because if you are, then you're dead!"

"I'm not screwing around with her, Ran. I promise it won't happen again!" Yuuya exclaimed, waving his hands back and forth with a crooked smile on his face. Secretly, Yuuya hoped he could keep his promise since Aya was starting to become the center of his attention. "Anyways, that's far from the point! What I was trying to say is that I think Aya and Rei are already friends."

Ran sighed and crossed her hands. "I doubt it. That guy is weird and he doesn't want have friends. He pushes everyone away. Also, Rei wouldn't just talk to any girl like that."

Silently, Miyu disagreed with Ran. Aya wasn't just any girl. Aya is a special girl that could do anything if she proposed herself to it. Maybe she was even capable of changing a person. Miyu sighed and looked out the window. While Yuuya and Ran kept arguing about Rei and Aya being friends, Miyu was lost in thought. She could tell that Aya truly cared about Rei. That's all Rei really needed; a pretty sweet girl named Aya Hoshino to change his life completely.

…

Aya sighed to herself as she walked down the sidewalk. It was getting extremely late and the sun was already starting to set. She needed to get home so she walk Dylan. She had already fed him before she had gone shopping with Ran and the others.

As she walked, Aya's mind began to wonder about Rei. She hoped that all those stories that were said about him weren't true. It would be sad if they were since she wouldn't be able to understand him, much less help him. It was no surprise he acted the way he did. He showed hatred towards others because that's all he carried in his heart. How could he treat others nicely when people didn't treat him nicely? He learned how to live alone so that's why he wanted and liked to be alone.

It wasn't all true anymore though. Rei was actually starting to talk to her and he was starting to treat her with more kindness. It filled Aya's heart with joy when she had heard Rei say that she was a good person. She would have never thought that Rei had the capability to say such a thing to others. Maybe, without even knowing it himself, he was changing. If the fact that he didn't like talking to people was true, then he wouldn't even be talking to her. Aya hoped that he already considered her as a friend.

A chilly breeze hit Aya in the face that made her pull her sweater. The sky was turning orange with yellow as the sun hid behind puffy clouds. To Aya, it was such a beautiful sight. She always loved to walk Dylan at this time.

As Aya was about to continue walking down the sidewalk, she noticed that she was right next to the park. She stopped walking and looked at the path that led to the park. Without a second to spare, Aya walked down the path. Last time, she had seen Rei sitting in a park bench aroud this time. If she went through park, she might have a chance to see him again. She wanted to ask him why he hadn't been to school. She wanted to see if he was okay. Those doubts had been bothering her all day.

Aya wondered why she was so attracted and interested in Rei Otohata. The moment she saw him in school, Aya had this weird feeling. She had found him handsome and very good looking, but as soon as she discovered his mean cold attitude, Aya was largely disappointed. Then what made her more sad was the fact that people were talking about him. Rei didn't need anymore problems.

Looking around, Aya realized that park was completely deserted. They're was no one around. Aya gripped on her purse that was hanging across her chest. The emptiness of the park was starting to make her feel a bit scared. She was afraid to encounter the guys that had attacked her the other days. Aya increased her speed as she looked straight forward. It would be dark soon and least thing Aya wanted was to encounter those idiots. After a couple of seconds of walking, Aya stopped as she spotted something on the floor.

There was something stretched out beside the path she was walking. Aya squinted her eyes to see if she could make out what it was, but she couldn't. Aya took a few steps forward and stopped when she saw it was a person. Aya's heart started pounding loudly, her mind quickly jumping to wild conclusion. The thing on the ground was a person or better say a man. Aya gulped as she took another step. He was collapsed in the ground without any movement. Aya wondered if he was okay. He laid quietly on the ground, not moving. Was he asleep? Was he drunk? Aya quivered as she asked herself if he was dead.

With a great sense of nervousness, Aya walked over to the man until she stood right in front of him. She walked on the other side of him so she could see his face. Her eyes widen and her heart started pounding fast when she realized who it was.

"Rei!" She exclaimed as she quickly sat down next to him so she could look at him better. "What happened to you? Are you okay? Oh, Rei." Aya burst into tears as she shook him. There was fresh blood around his mouth and under his right eye. He had bruises in his arms and possibly all over his body. Aya gently touched his arm and tried to wake him up again. "Rei? Do you hear me? Please wake up. You're hurt." Aya pleaded, but received no response. "Rei! Please! Let me help you!"

"Shut your mouth." Rei suddenly said, but without opening his eyes. "You're making a fuss." Aya was taken aback, but she still felt happy that Rei was conscious. Rei tried to sit up, but every part of his body seemed to be in pain. He groaned as he forcefully tried to sit up, his hands pushing himself forward while his knees rose up. When Aya was about to help him, Rei pushed her hand away.

"Leave me alone. I don't need your help." Rei told her coldly.

"There is no way I'm going to leave you. Look at you! You're hurt! You can barely sit up. Like it or not, I'm going to help you." Aya exclaimed to her surprise. She was being very expressive that day. "What happened to you, anyways? Who did this to you?"

"Hmm." Rei smirked, looking down at his bloody hands. "Like I would ever tell you. It's none of your damn business. Now, go and leave me alone."

Aya shook her head as she wiped her tears. When she saw that Rei was trying to stand, Aya quickly helped him up. She placed Rei's hand over her neck and tried to hold him up. He was pretty heavy, but somehow Aya managed to stand up straight with Rei's weight on her. Even though he had told her to leave, he didn't seem to protest against her help. In fact, to Aya, he still seemed pretty unconscious. "Rei. Please hang in there, okay? I'm going to heel your wounds in a minute." Of course, there was no response from him.

Holding him up, Aya took a few steps forward as Rei painfully dragged himself along with her. Aya walked slowly so that Rei wouldn't have to push himself too hard.

With his eyes fairly open, Rei shifted them to look at Aya. He didn't understand why she was helping him. Normally, when girls see blood or something, they freak out and run away. This girl didn't do that, though. She wasn't afraid of him. Rei groaned as he felt pain travel through out his body.

"Otohata-kun, don't be surprised, but," Aya stammered as she saw Rei's eyes starting to close. He was starting to have trouble breathing. "I'm going to take you to my house to clean the blood off. Do you mind?"

"It's fine. I don't mind," Rei weakly said.

Aya smiled at him while her face blushed. She couldn't believe that Rei had actually accepted going to her house. Aya thought that he would tell her no and then push her off, but he didn't. Aya's heart started pounding faster as she spotted her house at a distance.

On the other hand, Rei was trying to figure out why that girl makes his life worth living.

* * *

><p>TBC...<p> 


	5. Blossoming

**Gals!**

_Hey. Here is chapter 5. It took a while, huh?_

_Well, it's official. I might fail physics and algebra. Future college is fading away! ._

_It's fine! I'm not giving up yet!_

_Hope this story meets your expectations. I worked hard on it! =)_

_I'm sorry about the errors. I was having trouble uploading it. My internet kept cutting off. _

* * *

><p><strong>Opposite Attractions<strong>

**Chapter 5 – Blossoming**

Aya opened the door of her house with Rei almost on top her. He was leaning his whole weight on her. Stepping inside, Aya watched as Dylan walked up to them. She smiled at him, but then turned her attention back to Rei. "Otohata-kun? Everything is going to be okay now. We're here." Aya told him, closing the door with her foot and tossing her bag on the floor.

"Yeah, sure." Rei replied, placing his hand on his forehead. Aya carefully walked him over to the sofa and sat him down on. She sat down next to him, looking at his wounds. There was blood around his left eye and on his lower lip. He had his arm on under his left rib cage while his grimaced. Aya consider the possibility that maybe he wounded there as well. Aya hesitated to make a move. She didn't know what Rei would say if she suddenly just touched him. Sighing, Aya shifted a bit closer to him, making his falter a bit.

"Who did this to you?" Aya asked him. She touched Rei's cheek with the tips of her fingers. Of course, Rei quickly turned his face and pushed her hand away. Aya gasped silently, placing her hands on her lap while her heart pounded loudly. "I know. You don't want to tell me. It's none of business and that I should leave you alone." Aya placed her hand on his arm, startling him a bit. She was surprised that he didn't push her hand away. "I want you to tell me though."

Rei crossed the pain despite the pain he felt all over his body. He closed his eyes as he leaned his head back. Aya looked at him curiously, taking her hand off him. She twitched as she saw a smirk forming across Rei's face. "It's would be pointless. Why should I tell you? You're nobody."

"I care about you, Otohata-kun." Aya suddenly blurted out. Rei opened his eyes and shifted them toward her. "I worry about you. We're friends, right? Friends look out for each other. They trust one another." Aya leaned a bit closer to him. "Don't you get it?"

"You're right." Rei suddenly sat up and grabbed Aya's wrist. He pulled her closer to him, looking at her straight in the eyes. Aya's heart pounded when she stood only inches away from Rei's face, her eyes wide with surprise. She bit her lip as she felt Rei squeeze on her wrist tighter. Rei smirked at her scared struck face. "I don't get it all. I don't understand why you insist on talking to me. I've told you a million times to leave me alone and yet, you don't." Aya pulled her hand away from him and quickly shifted away from him. He shook his head, rolling his eyes. "You're so annoying."

Aya stood up in front of him. "I'm going to get something to clean your wounds. We don't want them to get infected. Then, you'll end up with a fever and then that will be a problem." Aya smiled at him before she walked away, heading upstairs.

That's right. She tried to act natural when she was around him, but deep down inside she was nervous and her stomach would twirl into a million knots. Aya walked up the stairs as she felt her heart pounding loudly inside her. She placed her hand on her chest. This feeling. What was it? She had never felt something so strong. It made her feel feel happy and scared at the same time. She didn't know what to expect from this. One thing she did know for sure though was that she wanted to be friends with Rei and she wasn't planning on giving up on the idea.

After finally reaching the top, Aya walked into her bathroom and opened one of the small cabinets. She pulled out the bottle of rubbing alcohol and many small clean towels. She placed them beside the sink then thought about what else could be useful. She grabbed the gauze bandages, a bottle with peroxide, and a bottle of saline water. Then, she closed the cabinet's door. Before leaving, Aya washed her hands with soap and water. Then she grabbed all her stuff and headed downstairs.

When she reached the bottom, walking into the living, she spotted Rei either half asleep or half unconscious. Aya walked over to him and sat next to him again, placing her stuff next to her. She placed her hand on top of Rei's forehead to see if he had a fever or something. Fortunately, he didn't. After a couple of seconds, Aya felt Rei shove her hand away. "Listen, Otohata-kun." Aya said, grabbing the alcohol. "I know you can't stand me, but please, just this once, bare with me. Please. Don't push me away, okay?" Aya took Rei's silence as a yes.

"Okay, then." Aya said, taking the cap off the alcohol. Then, she grabbed the towel and poured a little bit on it. Her heart pounded hard as lifted Rei's shirt sleeve up. Sure enough, his hand was injured and had blood around a cut that went straight across his arm. To Aya's relief, the cut wasn't very deep and it wasn't that big. Also, it wasn't bleeding anymore. It had stopped. Aya help her breath as she placed the towel with alcohol on his arm. She knew the burn that Rei would feel in the next seconds.

"Damn. What the hell?" Rei said through his teeth. Aya rubbed the towel gently on his arm, but that wouldn't prevent the awful sting that he was probably feeling. Aya was impressed by how still he sitting. He wasn't squirming and pushing her away. He was being very obedient to her pleasure. "What the hell? How is this suppose to make me feel better?" Rei grimaced with frustration.

Aya took the towel off and grabbed another clean towel. "Well, people use alcohol to clean wounds." Aya said quietly. She grabbed the bottle of peroxide after she soaked a new towel with saline water. She poured a small amount of peroxide. Rei watched her carefully. Then, he pointed at the bottle. "So, what is that?" Aya looked at the bottle as she placed it on the sofa. "That's peroxide." Rei lifted his eyebrow while Aya smiled at him. He was actually talking to her. "Peroxide is used to prevent infections." Rei shifted himself away from her. "Won't it kill me?" Aya snickered nervously as looked at the bottle in her hands. "It would if I poured it from the bottle on to your arm. If it gets into your bloodstream, then it can kill you. As you can see though, I'm putting it on the towel and only a small amount along with the water. Also, your cut isn't too deep. So, there's nothing to worry about. You'll be fine."

Rei sighed as she pressed the towel on his arm. She gently rubbed it back and forth, making sure that she wouldn't hurt him more. When she felt Rei looking at her, Aya stopped, turning to look at him. "Do you even know what you're doing?" He asked her sternly. Aya gulped and smiled nervously. "I think so." Rei scratched the back of his head with his spare hand. "If I end up dead, it's going to be your fault." Aya snickered as she took the towel off his arm and placed it to the side. She dried it off with a third towel.

"Don't worry, Otohata-kun. Nothing is going to happen." Aya grabbed the gauze roll. "You'll feel much better. Trust me." She unrolled the gauze to a certain point and then tore the piece off. Then, she began to wrap Rei's arm with the gauze. Rei rolled his eyes. "How do you know all that stuff?" Aya wrapped Rei's arm tightly with the gauze and when she was done, she looked at it with pride. "There. I researched all this stuff through the internet." Aya told him, smiling. Rei didn't seemed to convinced. "Also, when I graduate from Hounan, I want to be a nurse. It's my dream." Rei huffed a small laugh. "I feel sorry for your future patients."

Then, Aya's face fell sad as she looked at the towel in her hand. "Can you tell me what happened? Who hurt you this way? I'm really worried. If you don't tell me, I won't be able to sleep for weeks." Rei looked at his bandaged hand and then shifted his eyes toward her. "I got into a fight." He gave her a cold glare. "Are you happy now?"

"Oh, I see." Aya said sadly. It was true then. Rei was a violent person. For some reason, tears started swelling from her eyes to Rei's surprise. Aya quickly wiped them away with her arm since her hands had alcohol. "That's pretty sad. What happened?"

"They provoked me. It was stupid of me, though. I didn't stand a chance." Rei smirked to himself as he looked at her. Aya felt a shiver run down her spine, but Rei continued. "I'll get him when he's alone."

Aya shook her head as she looked away. "That's wrong, Otohata-kun. Fighting just brings you more problems. You shouldn't take risks like that. It's dangerous. Next time things could be worse." Aya stopped talking when she heard Rei groan. "You're no one to tell me what to do. I do what I want." He told her coldly. Aya nodded and got up. "Fine, Mr. Tough Guy. Sorry for caring."

Walking into the kitchen, Aya opened the freezer and pulled out the bag of ice. She placed some ice on top of a napkin then rolled it up. Once they were rolled up, she placed the ice in a sandwich baggie. She spotted Dylan laying on the kitchen floor with his feet stretched out. Aya patted his head before filling his bowl with food and water. Then she grabbed a bottle of water and headed out the kitchen. She silently sat next to Rei again. Aya looked at him as she placed the materials on the sofa besides the other things. Aya uncapped the bottle of water, grabbed a new clean towel, and poured water on it. She took a deep breath as she turned to look at Rei.

"Otohata-kun. I'm going to clean your face off now." She told him as she kneeled on the floor in front of him. Rei shrugged and pretended to not care. Aya felt him twitch the moment she pressed the wet towel on the side of his face. She gently cleaned off the blood as her fingers brushed on his face. She was so close to him. Her heart increased rapidly as she felt Rei's hot breaths hit her skin. It surprised her to see that wasn't moving. "There you go. It wasn't that bad, now was it." Rei looked away while Aya reached for a regular tan bandage. She peeled off the seal and turned once again toward Rei. She placed it carefully under Rei's left eye. For a couple of seconds, Aya's hands stayed there on top of the bandage. She couldn't believe she was actually touching Rei's face. The face of perfection. She quickly came back to her senses though and sat down her knees in front of him. "That should do for a day or two. Try not to get the gauze in your arm wet."

Aya got up, taking a deep breath. She closed her eyes since she was getting ready to say her next words. "Otohata-kun, does it hurt under your left rib cage?" Aya asked him as she blushed madly. She couldn't believe what she was about to ask. "If you like, I can take a look at it. It might just be bruise, but it's wise to take caution in these sorts of matters." Aya told him hopelessly. She already knew that he was going to say no, but she had to at least try. He seemed to be holding that spot a lot so Aya figured that he was in real deep pain.

She was taken aback when she saw Rei's mischievous smirk. Aya quickly regretted what she had said, but it was tool ate. She couldn't take her words back now. She looked at him firmly in the eyes. "It's okay if you don't want to. I was just suggesting."

"It's fine. I don't mind." Rei told her with that laughing smirk on his face. Aya almost fell back when she Rei taking off his shirt. Her face flew bright red as Rei sat right in front of her bare chested. Her heart skipped a beat while her eyes widen. She had never believed that he would do something like that. If she would have known that he was going to get half naked then she wouldn't have asked him at all. Aya gulped, looking up at the ceiling. What would her parents say if they saw her with him? They'd probably never trust her again. Aya didn't move as she stood still in shock. She was afraid to even approach him. What scared her the most though was the fact that he bare chested in her house while she was alone. She hoped that he wouldn't get any crazy ideas, even though the one with the crazy thoughts was her. She silently admitted to herself that Rei looked handsome. He looked so beautiful that Aya wondered why he wasn't a model. "What are you staring at?" Rei asked her sarcastically. "C'mon. What are you waiting for?"

Aya nodded as she held her breath. She walked over to the sofa, grabbed the bag with ice, and then sat down in front of Rei. She knew that her face was still blushing. It probably wouldn't blushing until Rei puts his shirt back on. "Where does it hurt?" She asked him bashfully. Rei placed his hand over the spot where he felt pain. Aya looked at it. There was a purple bruise that was just a bit smaller than her hand. She carefully place the ice on top of it. Her fingers touching his skin. "I'm guessing that they were kicking you here. Punches are usually directed in the stomach." Rei shook his head as he huffed a laugh.

Butterflies were starting to form in her stomach. Her fingers trembled as she held the bag of ice over Rei's bruised skin. She shifted her eyes toward him and found him staring off into space. At least he wasn't looking at her. "Here." Aya suddenly said, her lips quivering with nervousness. "Hold the bag gently over your bruise. It will make it feel better." Rei turned his attention to her to Aya's surprise. "Aren't you doing it?" He asked her with a tint of sarcasm. Aya blushed, looking at the bag of ice that was being held by her fingers. "Yeah, I am, but you can do it on your own."

Rei moved his right hand, making Aya think that he was going to hold the bag of ice in it's place. Instead, took the bag from her hands and tossed it to the side. He lunged toward her, grabbing her wrists and pinning them to the ground. Aya fell on her back as Rei dropped himself on top of her. Aya laid on the floor with Rei pinning her down from her wrists while he held himself on top of her. Her heart began to race at a thousand miles per hour as Rei looked down at her. He was looking straight into her scared and wide eyes. The impression wouldn't go away. This was the first time that she was held in such a position by a boy. Aya didn't know what to say or do. If Rei's face got any closer to hers, then they would end up kissing. Aya bit her lip as her eyes blinked slowly. What had happened to all that pain that he was feeling? What was he going to do with her?

"What's wrong, girl?" He told her with an evil smirk on his face. "Are you scared of me now?" A tear streamed down Aya's face as she looked away from him. She could try to kick him, but she didn't move. "Are you scared of me now?" Rei repeated.

Shaking her head, Aya looked up at him from the floor. "I'm trying not too. I know you wouldn't do anything to harm me. I know you won't. You won't" Aya told him. She was trying to convince herself as well. She had never expected this. Would Rei really try to do something? The thought of it almost made Aya burst into tears. She didn't understand why Rei was doing all of this scene. It seemed very unlike him because it was would never go to all this trouble to do something stupid. "Just stop. Get off me." Aya whispered.

"What if I don't want to? What are you going to do? You can't even defend yourself. What makes you so sure that I'm not going to do anything?" Rei told her coldly. Another tear escaped form her eyes to Aya's dismay. She didn't want to show her weakness in time like this. She wanted to prove to him that she was strong.

"You're not that kind of person, Rei. I know you're not. Deep down you're a good person." Aya told him quietly that erased his smirk away. He looked at her seriously with stern eyes. He wasn't playing around anymore. "And how the hell do you know? You don't know me. You don't know where I came from. You don't know what I feel. What the hell makes you think that I'm fucking good person?"

"I know." Aya stammered as her tears began to flow freely. She tried to pull her hands from his grasp, but he was too strong. "I know you're good person because I've seen you." Rei smirked at her as he leaned his face closer to her. "What the hell are saying?"

"I've seen you're good side, Rei!" Aya exclaimed. "You're nice and kind to me. You've defended me more than once. You've accepted my help more than once. You're not that bad person you want to seem. You're not! You just show hatred to the world because that's all they've ever shown you! It's wrong. I know it's wrong, but I understand how you're feeling?" She paused as she sobbed heavily. "I'm lonely too. I have no one, but you."

Rei stood silent for a couple of seconds, but then shook his head. "You just don't understand. You live in your own world. You're too innocent for your own good. Stop living in damn fantasy and wake up to reality." Rei squeezed Aya's wrists really hard, making her groan a bit. "Not all people are good. Get that straight in your head."

Aya quickly turned her head to the side as Rei's face approached next to hers. "That might be true." Aya whispered. "There are some people in the world that are mean, but that's not in your case. I don't know what has caused you all this pain and hatred, but you have to learn to forgive and forget." Rei's eyes widen as Aya looked at him. "I can help you."

"Save your pity. I don't need your help." Rei said through his teeth while his eyebrows furrowed. Aya could tell that he was losing his patience. "What reason could you have for helping me?"

"I'd help you because you're my friend!" Aya exclaimed loudly. "You call me stupid, but I think it's the other way around! Are you so ignorant that you don't recognize a friend when you have one right in front of you? Don't you get it? How many times do I have to tell you that your my friend?" Aya's tears continued to flow, but this time they weren't tears of fear. They were tears of sadness. "I don't know you're reasons, but I know that you're afraid to make friends. Something prevents you from getting close to people." Aya saw how slowly Rei's face expression started to change. "I'm your friend, Rei. I'm not going to let the pain swallow you."

The moment she said those words, Rei released his grip on Aya and sat up. Aya took a deep breath as she pushed herself forward. She shifted her body so that she was sitting next to Rei. Aya watched Rei cover his face with one hand while he grabbed his shirt with the other. Silently, Rei began to put on his shirt. Aya looked at her lap until he was finished. When she looked back up, Aya found Rei's hand on top of his face.

"Why?" He whispered, surprising Aya. "I don't understand you. Why are you doing this? By now, you should be afraid of me. You were supposed to kick me out your house. You were supposed to be afraid of me, but you're not. You're supposed to hate me, but you don't. Why?"

Aya shook her head sadly, but her lips formed a small smile. "I'm not going to deny the fact that I was scared. I didn't know what you were going to do, but even if you did scare me or you try to kill me, there's no way I could I could hate you. I understand your feelings and even if I didn't I would still try to help you. That's what a friend would do, you know." Rei smirked at Aya's words. "That sounds so cheesy."

Sighing, Aya placed her hand on his shoulder. "Otohata-kun, I'm going to be your friend okay? You don't have to be alone ever again. I'll be here for you, okay?"

There was silence for a couple of minutes until Rei's hands turned to fists. He laughed quietly to himself, but it didn't last long. He placed his hand over his face again, but this time Aya noticed a tear rolling down his cheek. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to hear those words." Rei whispered to her. "I've always lived alone, but that isn't what I wanted. No one ever understood me. Whenever I would push someone away, I always regretted it later, but I couldn't take it back."

Aya knew that Rei was holding in his tears, so she decided to cry for him. She stood up on her knees, got close to him and held him. She pushed his head toward her so that he laid on top her chest. Of course, Rei didn't hug her back, but it was okay. Rei lifted his head to look at her.

"You're the first person that doesn't give up on me." Rei admitted. "I've said some cruel things to you and yet, you never leave me. It's something different. You're not frighten by me. You want to be friends. You're kind." Rei laughed to himself again as Aya increased her grip a bit. "No one has ever insisted on me so much. You must be such an idiot." Aya rolled her eyes as she tried to ignore that last sentence. "Thanks, though."

"You're welcome." Aya replied. "I'm glad you understand. You're quite stubborn." Aya laughed as she let go of him to pat his head. Rei didn't find it too amusing and shoved her away. "Shut up." He told her as he crossed his hands.

Aya sat down nest to him and placed her finger over her chin. "By the way, weren't you in pain?" She asked him curiously as she saw him moving about. "A couple of minutes ago you were barely able to move and now, you're like okay." Aya closed her eyes as Rei playfully hit her with his fist on her forehead. "Stupid. Did I ever say I was in pain? You just jumped to conclusions." Aya crossed her hands, pouting. "Well, it sure seemed like it. You were bleeding and everything. What do you expect me to think?"

"I've figured out what you're problem is." Rei suddenly said, changing the topic. Aya tilted her head curiously. "You trust people too easily." He looked at her, making her blush a deep shade of pink. Rei stood up painfully followed shortly afterward by Aya. Turning to look at her, Rei frowned at her. "Consider yourself lucky that you bumped into me and not some crazy violent weirdo. Do you know what a guy would do to you if they found you alone? You're so stupid that you'll fall for anyone's tricks."

Blushing, Aya looked down at the floor while her heart pounded loudly. It almost sounded like Rei was actually worried about her. She smiled happily. A tear escaping from her eyes. "I promise to be careful." She paused as Rei make a serious face. Aya blushed, but still managed to form a smile. "Besides, if I get into trouble again, I know you'll be there for me."

Rei rolled his eyes as he walked a few steps away from her. "Don't count on it." He turned to look at her. Aya felt her face flush with embarrassment. She couldn't believe that she had just said that. "There are many things you don't know about me. It would be better if stayed away from me," Aya face saddened a bit, but Rei continued his sentence. "But, you never listen to me. If you want to be near me, then go ahead. I'm not going to stop you."

"Otohata-kun, what secrets are trying hide? Why do you always shove people away?" Aya asked him, hopefully.

Rei sighed as he walked toward the door. When he was right in front of the door, he stopped and gripped on the door knob tightly. "It doesn't matter. Don't worry about it. It's really not a big deal." Aya shook her head while she urged to hug him. "It must matter if it makes you feel like that. Does it have something to do with your family?"

He shook his head as he sighed. He opened the door and turned back to look at her. Before walking out, he smiled at her. "I don't have a family. I don't have anyone, but you."

* * *

><p>TBC..<p>

_P.s. i don't know if what Aya did is right. I'm not a nurse._


	6. One Step Closer

**Gals!**

_Hey! Chapter 6 is finally here. It took a while, huh?_

_I was going to update this sooner, but I had to update my other stories. _

_Hope this meets your expectations! Please read, enjoy, and review!_

* * *

><p><strong>Opposite Attractions<strong>

**Chapter 6 - One Step Closer**

Aya's face lit up slightly when she saw Rei walk in the classroom. Pretending to read, Aya looked down at the book as she tried to hide her blush. His arm was still bandaged and it was causing an uproar among the students. Rei of course, seemed to be keeping his calm. Aya smiled to herself as she looked up. Rei was walking right beside her when Aya spoke to him. "Good morning, Otohata-kun."

Rei halted in his steps. He turned to look at her. Aya gave him a big smile while her face blushed a slight color of pink. The entire class was looking at them including her friends. They sat in silence, waiting for Rei's reply with anxiety. Aya wished she could take back her words. She said them a bit too loud. Now, they were the center of attention.

"Morning." Rei replied, scratching the back of his head. Aya turned back to the open book in front of her while Rei sat in his seat. He actually talked to her in front of others. That made Aya extremely happy.

When she noticed her friends walking toward her, Aya closed her book and placed it in her bag. Ran and Miyu stood in front of her desk with welcoming smiles. Looking around, Aya spotted Yuuya sitting in his desk sulking. She wondered what was wrong with him. He had his face flat on the desk, his eyes focused on Ran. She had probably done something to upset him. "Hello Ran, Miyu." She gave Yuuya a quick glance. "What's wrong with Yuuya?"

Ran shrugged. "Who knows. He just got like that all of a sudden." Miyu shook her finger in front of Ran and then turned to look at Aya. "He didn't just get like that all of a sudden."

Placing her hands on her hips, Ran growled at Miyu, causing Aya to laugh a little. "Yes, he did. I don't know what came over him." Miyu sighed, shaking her head. Aya smiled at Ran. It didn't surprise her. Ran was so clueless about things. Especially when it came to guys.

"He got like that when you told us that you were going out with Tatsuki-chi." Miyu told Ran and Aya. Sighing, Aya leaned her head on her hands. That was it then. Aya couldn't help but feel sorry for Yuuya. "He wasn't expecting it." Miyu continued, giving Ran a suspicious look. "It was a big surprise for him."

Ran crossed her hands a bit annoyed. "I don't why it was such a shocker. I mean it's not like he likes me or anything." Miyu and Aya looked at each other before giggling secretly. How could she not realize Yuuya's feelings for her? They were so obvious.

"Poor Yuuya."Aya stated, shifting her eyes to the ceiling. "I kind of feel sorry for him. All his hopes and his dreams are unreachable now." Miyu nodded as they began to leave Ran out of the conversation. "He shouldn't let stuff like that get him down. I'm sure there are other girls that would love to date him or go out with him. If only he could realize that." Aya sighed helplessly, getting suspicious glares from Ran and Miyu.

"Aya?" Miyu said curiously. "Do you like Yuuya?" That caught Ran's attention. She placed her face close to Aya's. "Aya! You like Yuuya!" She exclaimed in her goofy voice. "Well, why didn't you say so before. Let's tell him! I'm sure that will cheer him up!"

"No!" Rei and Aya said at the same time accidentally. Aya's heart pounded rapidly as turned around to look at Rei. Of course, now he was looking in another direction, trying to avoid her gaze. Aya giggled to herself. He had probably spoken out for her because he probably figured that she wouldn't do it. Fortunately, Ran and Miyu didn't notice. "I don't like him that way. He's my friend. I will always see him as friend."

Miyu sighed, but smiled at Aya sweetly. She placed her hand over her shoulder. "It's fine, Aya. We can't force to like anyone. Miyu is sure that one day you will find your true love!" She placed her hands on her chest and looked outside the window. "Just like the way Miyu found her sweet Yamato! We love each other very much!"

"Yeah, I'm sure of it." Aya said to her while Miyu began to walk away to her desk. She waved at Aya and she waved back. After a couple of seconds, Aya was startled by Ran's hand slamming her desk. "Listen, Aya." Ran started exuberantly. "Don't think about it twice. If you like Yuuya just tell him."

Aya winced, but didn't protest. She really didn't feel like discussing that sort of matters. It was amazing though how oblivious Ran could be. Sometimes Aya wondered if she just pretended to be that way. Either way, Aya loved Ran the way she was. She wouldn't want her to change ever. Aya nodded to Ran's statement and shortly afterward, Ran smiled at her and left to her desk. Sighing, Aya leaned her head on her hand again and looked out the window. Pretty soon, she was lost in her daydreams.

Rei was back in school. That made her happy, but she wondered how he was feeling. She hoped that he wasn't pushing himself too hard. Also, she had forgot to tell him not to fight anymore. Violence doesn't solve anything. It just makes things worse. She looked at Rei from the corner of her eye. It seemed to her that he was tired and a bit sleepy. A yawn escaped from Aya. She was also kind of sleepy. She had been thinking about Rei all night that she had trouble sleeping. Before she knew it, her head was laying on the desk. Her eyes started to close and her mind shut out everything.

"The test is tomorrow!" The teacher suddenly exclaimed. Aya's head bolted up from the desk. She hadn't even noticed the teacher walk in. Rubbing her eyes, Aya looked straight forward and pretended to be paying attention. "I expect everyone to do well." He continued, crossing his hands and looking over to Ran. "That includes you, Kotobuki!"

They started arguing, making the whole class laugh. Aya smiled and turned to look at Rei. When the made eye contact, Aya quickly turned away, blushing. She wondered if he had studied for the test.

…

"Finally! Lunch time!" Ran hollered, walking over to Aya and stretching her hands high in the air. "C'mon, Aya! Let's go!" Aya looked up, grabbing her lunch box from her bag. She looked at the doorway spotting Miyu and Yuuya walking out. Then, she shifted her eyes around the classroom. Everyone was gone except for Rei. He had his forehead on his desk. Aya figured he was asleep.

Aya smiled at Ran while she placed her lunch box on her desk. "It's okay, Ran. I think I'll eat here today. I'm going to study for test while I eat. It is tomorrow after all."

Ran shrugged her shoulders and began to walk away. "Suit yourself." Before she walked outside the classroom, Ran turned to look at Aya. "We'll be outside in case you change your mind." Ran waved at her and then walked out.

Sighing, Aya looked over at Rei. He probably didn't have anything for lunch. Aya stood up from her seat and walked over to him. She poked him lightly on the shoulder, hoping to get his attention. "Otohata-kun?" He didn't move. Aya tilted her head towards him. "Otohata-kun? Are you asleep?"

"I was." He growled without bothering to even look at her. "Leave me alone. Go bother someone else." Rei covered his face with his arms. He hoped Aya would get the message and leave.

"Otohata-kun, I was wondering," Aya started, blushing a bit. She grabbed her lunch box from her desk and placed it on Rei's desk. "I was wondering if you brought something to eat because if you didn't then we can share mine." Aya paused as she tapped on his shoulder again. "What do you say? Want to share lunch with me?"

Rei sat up straight and looked at her lunch that was lying on top of his desk. Then, he shifted his eyes to her. With a big long sigh, Rei crossed his hands. "Why not. It's not like I have anything better to do."

Her face lit up and she clasped her hands together excitingly. "That's great!" She exclaimed. Rei looked away from her, rolling his eyes. "Thank you, Otohata-kun!" Rei smirked to himself. She was such a weird girl. Wasn't he the one that was suppose to say thank you?"

Pulling her chair, Aya placed the chair on the side of Rei's desk and sat down. Then, she grabbed her lunch box and unwrapped the cloth that was around it. Rei watched her carefully. She was a bit too close to him. He looked around the classroom. Luckily for him, there was no one around. He sighed with relief. He didn't want anyone to think that he was turning soft. Anyone would think that if they spotted him eating with a girl.

Aya opened her bento lunch box carefully, making sure that the food would get any damage. Rei looked inside and was surprised to see that it wasn't anything fancy. There was only a couple of rice balls, some rolled omelets, inari sushi, and sliced apples. She smiled at him and handed him a pair of chopsticks. Rei took them and wondered why she had brought an extra pair. "Let's eat." She said quietly.

They ate in silence. Rei didn't feel too comfortable taking food away from a girl, but she had insisted. Also he was surprised how good it was. The only thing he needed was something to drink. He wasn't going to tell her though. If he did, then she would probably run out and buy him something to drink.

After a couple of minutes, when they were done, Rei surprisingly broke the silence. "It was good." Broken from her trance, Aya looked up at him, pulling the last bit of rice ball from her mouth. "Did you really like it?" Rei nodded slowly to Aya's happiness.

"That's great!" Aya smiled, blushing and putting her rice ball in her mouth. She grabbed her eating utensils and placed then on top of the empty lunch box. She hoped that Rei really meant what he said and wasn't saying it out of obligation. "I'm really glad you liked it." Aya quietly said, looking down at her lap.

"Did your mom make it or something?" Rei asked her, placing his hands in the back of his head. Aya shook her head rapidly. "No. I cooked it myself. In the morning."

Rei was surprised to hear that. He always figured that mothers were suppose to make their daughters' food. He shrugged, leaning back on his chair. "I see." He said, shifting his eyes to the empty lunch box. "How do you have enough time?"

"Well," Aya began, closing her lunch box and wrapping it back in it's cloth. "I have to wake up extra early too give Dylan a walk and to feed him. I somehow manage to squeeze in a fast breakfast and then make myself some lunch. I make it to school with time to spare." Aya playfully hit herself with her small fist in the head, smiling. "I guess that's part of the reason why I always feel so sleepy in class."

"You sound like a very responsible person." Rei told her. She nodded, taking it as a compliment. "I would never do something like that. I rather sleep in late."

"Yeah, that sounds believable." Aya let out a little laugh. They were talking almost as if they were close friends. Their last conversation at her house had been pretty intense and terrifying. Now, they were talking a lot more relaxed. Aya was really enjoying it.

Rei struggled to say his next words. He clenched his fists tightly as he looked away from her. "You're a good cook." Aya's eyes widen, gasping silently. "I-" Rei scratched the back of his head, catching sight of gauze that Aya had placed in his arm. "I really liked it." He rapidly stammered. "Thank you."

Blushing, Aya fiddled with her fingers. She couldn't believe that Rei was being so nice. "You're welcome." She looked at the window, trying to hide her face of embarrassment. "By the way, how come you didn't bring your lunch? Did you forget it or something?"

Rei huffed an annoyed sighed and rolled his eyes. "It's none of your business." Instead of getting mad or surprised, Aya giggled, standing up. She picked up her empty lunch box and walked over to her desk. She placed her empty lunch box inside her bag. Then she pulled her chair back to it's spot and sat down. Rei smirked, leaning elbow on the desk and his head on his hand. "Why did you lie to your friends?" Aya turned to look at him curiously. "You told them you were going to study. In the end, you ended up eating your lunch with me. Could it be that you wanted to be with me?"

"No! It's not like that at all!" Aya blushed, turning her head away from him. "For your information, I didn't lie to them. I was going to study, but you distracted me." Aya pretended to be talking in serious tone as she pulled out her book from her desk. She dropped her book on top her desk and opened it to a random page. "Then, I thought you'd be hungry since you were still in here."

Rei smirked at her, tilting his head in his hand so he could get a better look at her. Aya tried to read, but she couldn't since she felt Rei's stare on her. Her foot began to bounce nervously. "Can you please stop staring at me?" Aya told him, blushing madly.

He didn't say anything. His smirk wouldn't wash away. "I can't help, but stare at your pretty face."

Aya buried her face in her book. She wished the earth could just swallow her. She pretended like she didn't hear anything, but her red face was blowing her cover. "You're so cute." Rei said again with an evil smirk in his face. Aya gripped on her book tightly, her heart pounding almost straight out of her chest. "Rei! Stop saying stuff like that!"

"Eh?" Rei leaned back in his chair again as he placed his hands behind his head. "I can't believe you fell for it. Then again, girls always fall for that sort of stuff." Rei huffed a laugh. "It's fun to mess with you."

Aya gave him an evil glare before turning to her book. "Well, I don't find it very amusing, you know. You should say stuff like that to your girlfriend or something."

Rei shook his head. "I don't have a girlfriend."

Her heart skipped a beat. Aya kind of figured that he didn't have a girlfriend, but now, there was no doubts. Rei wasn't attached to anyone. Aya's face flushed red while her palms started to sweat. She didn't understand why she was reacting that way. Why should she care if Rei had a girlfriend or not? It was none of her business. The feeling inside her was new though. She had never felt it before. Knowing that Rei didn't have a girlfriend made her feel happy and relieved at the same time. Aya gulped before replying to Rei's statement. "Oh, I see."

They sat in silent for the next seconds or so. Aya didn't know what to say, so she pretended to be reading her book. No matter how hard she tried though, she couldn't even get through the first paragraph. She gave Rei a quick peek. He was looking at his bandaged left arm. Aya sat up straight a bit alarmed. "Does it hurt?"

"Not really." Rei replied after giving it one last look. "It feels much better."

Aya sighed in relief, placing her hand over chest. "That's good. I was worried that you were in pain or that it bothered you. Did you get a fever last night?" Rei shook his head, making Aya smile. "That's good, then. I guess I did do it right."

Rei rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I guess you did." Then, they started hearing students walking down the hallways. They were making such a fuss. Rei shifted his eyes toward Aya. "I'm guessing that lunch is over."

Checking her watch, Aya nodded. "Yeah, you're right." Aya closed her book and prepared herself for class. Deep down inside her, there was a ray of happiness shining from her heart. Rei was talking to her and joking around with her like a friend would. To top things off, she had figured out that he didn't have a girlfriend.

…

"Otohata-kun!" Aya exclaimed, waving her hand back and forth to get his attention. Unfortunately, it wasn't working. Aya ran toward him as he was about to walk outside the school gate. "Otohata-kun!"

Rei gritted his teeth as he ignored the girl that was calling out to him. He could hear her getting closer and closer. He gripped tightly on his bag as he about to exit the school grounds, but then he stopped. He couldn't leave her. After everything she had done for him, he couldn't be mean to her anymore. In fact, he felt comfortable being around her. He turned around and sure enough, she was standing right in front of him.

"Um, Otohata-kun," Aya started, feeling a bit embarrassed. Rei looked at her as he lifted an eyebrow. "The test is tomorrow and I was wondering if you-"

"If I want to study with you?" Rei finished for her. He crossed his hands and waited for her to say something. She stared at the ground, quietly nodding. Rei sighed after looking around. He was glad that one was paying attention to them. He didn't know where she was getting all this courage to speak to him. Then again, she was only shy around people that she didn't know and acted herself around her friends. That probably meant that she considered him as a friend. "I don't like libraries, though. They're too quiet. It's maddening."

Aya's hands trembled while they gripped on her bag. "Let's go, then." Rei suddenly said, walking in front of her. Aya lifted her head. She watched Rei's hand telling her to come on. "Do you want me to study with you or not?" She smiled and followed him.

"If you don't want to study in the library," Aya began placing her finger on top of her chin. "Then where do you want to go? I don't think they'll let us stay after school for too long."

"Where?" Rei smirked, turning to look at her. "Isn't it obvious? We're going to study at your house." Aya blushed and looked away while Rei gave a small mischievous laugh.

They walked in silent the rest of the way.

…

Aya opened the door of her house to find her dog waiting for her with a wagging tail. She took off her shoes, tossed her bag to the side, and kneeled in front of Dylan. He jumped on top of her happily. Aya playfully scratched the back of his ears and rubbed his tummy. "Hey, Dylan. Did you miss me?"

Shaking his head, Rei walked passed them. "It's not like he can answer you." Aya furrowed her eyebrows at him, but then turned her attention back to Dylan. "And besides," Rei continued, placing his hands on his waist. "Who would miss you? He probably wished you gone all day."

"No he doesn't!" Aya placed Dylan on floor and walked over to kitchen. She opened the kitchen cabinet and pulled out the bag of dog food. She poured some food on his bowl, then some water. Aya watched Dylan go over to the dog bowl. After sniffing it, Dylan started eating hungrily. Aya patted his head before walking out the kitchen.

She found Rei sitting in a chair in front of the table. He had his hands crossed while his foot shook impatiently. "Okay, so tell me," Rei looked at her, making her stop right in front of him. "Why do want me to study with you?"

Aya smiled and walked over to her book shelf. She grabbed a few books then walked over to the table. She placed them in front of Rei, startling him a bit. Aya walked over to her bag to pull out some paper. Rei just sat in silence, waiting for the longest studying time he had ever had in his life. Aya sat across from him in the table. "There. That should be everything." Aya sighed, placing her palm on her forehead. Then she noticed Rei staring at her. "What is it?"

"You didn't answer my question." Rei said as he leaned forward. "Why do want me to study with you? Don't you usually study by yourself."

Aya pouted, opening the first book she saw. "In case you've forgotten, the teacher left me in charge of you. If you end up failing the test, then he'll think that I did a lousy job preparing you. I must make sure you pass. That's all there is too it." Aya blushed, grabbing a blank sheet of paper. "And yes, I do usually study by myself."

Dylan walked next to Aya and barked loudly. Aya left the book, bending down to pick up her dog. She hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry, boy." She told him while she patted him in the head. "I can't play with you right now. I have to study." When she placed him down on the floor, Dylan began to whimpered.

Rei stared at the dog as it walked away. She sighed turning back to her book when Rei interrupted her. "What's her name?"

Aya shook her finger to the side with her eyes closed. "He's not girl. Didn't you just here me calling him a boy? His name is Dylan."

Scratching the back of his head, Rei thought about it for minute. He turned to look at Aya, wincing. "You named him Die Land?" Aya lifted in eyebrow since she didn't comprehend Rei's confusion. It was just a name. Couldn't he even understand that? "You named that dog Die Land? As in 'Dead' and 'Land'? Poor dog. He has an ugly name."

"It's not Die Land!" Aya exclaimed, slamming her hand on the desk. Rei leaned back a bit afraid. When it comes to her dog, she could be aggressive. In his opinion, a dog is just a pet. Aya grabbed a piece of paper and began to scribble her dog's name. After she was done, she handed it to Rei. He grabbed the paper and looked at it in all directions. "See." Aya grabbed the paper from his hands and placed it on the table. She pointed out the letters. "It not Die Land. His name Dylan. It's not hard."

"Dylan." Rei repeated and surprisingly enough, the dog walked over to him. He had his tongue out in the air with his tail wagging from side to side. "Why did you choose that name?"

Aya sighed, her smile turning into a frown. "I didn't choose it. My brother did. He gave Dylan to me." Aya looked down in her lap as her mind went to her older brother.

Meanwhile, Rei was fighting the urge to ask about him. He didn't know that she had a brother. Also , he wondered where her parents were at. He looked around the house; he doubted that she lived there by herself. Then again, he had never seen her parents and he had never heard her talk about them. "I didn't know you had a brother. Where is he?"

Aya looked at him. "Rei, do you still have the study guide I gave you? It would be useful to study from it since it has everything that's going to be on the test."

Rei gave her a sympathetic look before reaching down to get his bag. Aya didn't want to talk about the subject which was weird. Here she was asking him to her his problems when she was keeping secrets herself. The only difference was that he wasn't so oblivious as she was. Rei pulled out the journal and showed it to Aya. "Here it is."

A big smile formed on Aya's face. "I can't believe you still have it. That makes me feel so happy! I'm so glad that you kept it. Trust me. All the hard work I put in to it is finally going to pay off!" Aya's eyes began to glow with determination.

Rei shook his head as he placed the journal on the table. He opened it to the first page. Then he started looking inside his bag for a pencil or pen, but he couldn't find one. He cursed under his breath. He probably forgot his pencil at school.

"Here you go." Aya held a pencil out for him, but he looked at it suspiciously. "That is what you're looking for, right? Just take it. You won't be able to the problems with out it."

He reached for it, but when his fingers accidentally brushed against Aya's skin, he snatched it from her quickly and looked down at the journal. He grabbed a paper and began to copy down a problem that Aya had written down for him on the journal. He gave Aya a quick peek. She was reading something from a book. Then he asked, "Do you have one?"

Aya shifted her eyes toward him, making eye contact. Blushing, Aya bit her lower lip before answering him. "Yes. I have a pen in my bag."

"I'm not talking about a pen." Rei said annoyingly through his teeth. "I mean a boyfriend."

Surprised, Aya shook her head. She actually understood what he was asking. Her face grew bright red while her hands squeezed tightly on her uniform skirt. Aya looked down at her book, trying to hide her flustered face. "No. I don't have one."

"I see." Rei shifted himself in his chair. Somehow her answer made him feel a bit relieved. He wondered why. It wasn't any of his business if she had a boyfriend or not. He shrugged it off and turned back to the math problem.

* * *

><p>TBC...<p> 


	7. Broken Ties

**Gals!**

_Hey. I finally updated. It's been awhile. _

_I hope this meets your expectations. _

_I wasn't expecting the ending to turn out the way it did. Quite a shocker for me._

* * *

><p><strong>Opposite Attractions<strong>

**Chapter 7 - Broken Ties**

"Time's up. Please put your pencil down. I will pick up your tests momentarily." The teacher Nakanishi said from behind his desk. He walked over to the first desk and began to collect the tests. Many students started groaning as the teacher grabbed their tests since they weren't finished.

Aya placed her pencil next to her test. It had been pretty challenging, but not extremely difficult as she had expected. Sighing, Aya placed her head on her hand and gave Rei a quick peek. He seemed calm and maybe even relaxed. He had his hands crossed while his eyes were closed. She wondered if he had done okay on the test. They had spent the entire evening studying together. She hoped that it had been worth it. Aya quickly turned away when her eyes made contact with Rei's.

When the teacher walked by her desk, he picked up her test and Aya gave him a big reassuring smile. Then, she slowly turned to face the window. She could feel Rei's intense glare on her. Aya gulped hard while she closed her eyes. She hoped everything had gone smooth for him. If he failed the test, then she would never hear the end of it from him.

…

The bell rang for dismissal and Aya quickly began to gather her things. She looked towards Rei's desk. To her disappointment, she found that he was already heading toward the door. He was already leaving. Her heart dropped to her stomach while she sighed sadly. She wanted to talk to him and ask him how the test was for him. Aya placed her book in her bag, standing up straight.

The only reason she started talking to Rei was because Nakaneshi had told her to tutor him. Rei was all caught up now that the test was over. She wouldn't have to tutor him anymore. The only connection they had was over. Aya gripped tightly on her bag's handle while she walked toward the door. He probably wouldn't talk to her anymore.

Aya stepped outside the classroom and looked straight down the hall. There were a lot of people walking, but Rei was no where to be found. Aya stared down at the ground, letting out a big gloomy sigh. Now that Rei had done the test, he wouldn't need her anymore. Rubbing her eyes, Aya let a tear escape from her eyes. Taking a deep breath, Aya started walking away when she heard someone talk.

"What's up with that face?" Rei asked her, leaning his back against the wall and crossing his hands. Aya's eyes widen with surprise as she turned to look at him. Her face blushed madly when she saw a smirk formed across Rei's face. "Now what's wrong with you?"

"Oh, nothing! Nothing." Aya stammered, smiling a bit nervously while she shook her head. "It's just a bit surprising to find you here. I thought that you had left already. You seemed to be in hurry. I figured you were trying to avoid me or something."

"There really is no point in avoiding you." Rei told her truthfully. "Even if I did try to ditch you, sooner or later, you end up looking for me."

Aya blushed, looking away from Rei. She pouted angrily as she stomped her foot on the ground. "I do not! The only reason I look around for you is because-"

"You care about me." Rei finished for her with a smirk on his face. Aya bit her lower lip, stopping her from saying her next words. She knew that whatever would come out of her mouth, Rei would find some way to use it against her. When she realized that Rei was staring at her, Aya quickly started to look around, trying to find some sort of distraction to keep her mind away from Rei.

Suddenly, she felt Rei grab her hand tightly. Almost as a reflex, Aya's red face turned to look at him. She didn't understand what he was doing. He looked at her with an mischievous smirk. Aya tried her best to hide her flustered face, but Rei could see right through it. He laughed a bit then let go of her hand to Aya's relief. If Ran would see her with Rei, she would start to question and interrogate him.

"What's wrong?" Rei asked her slyly. "Afraid your boyfriend might catch you?"

Aya furrowed her eyebrows while she shook her head. "I already told you. I don't have a boyfriend. Why do you keep teasing me?"

"I'm not teasing you. I'm just asking a question." Rei admitted, shrugging his shoulder. He stood up straight and began to walk away. Coming back to her full senses, Aya followed him like a lost puppy, but she kept her distance, so that people wouldn't get the wrong idea. She sighed heavily, but deep down inside she felt kind of happy. She was glad that Rei was still talking to her.

"Oh, Otohata-kun?" Aya began as she increased her step so that she was walking right next to him. "How was the test? How do you think you did?"

Rei looked up at the ceiling while he walked down the hallway. "It was okay. I was prepared for it." He gave her a gentle look much to her surprise. "I owe you one."

"It's okay. You don't owe me anything. I'm glad to help out." Aya told him. She stared down at his hand, kind of wishing he would hold her hand again. "To be honest, I kind of thought you wouldn't talk to me anymore. I was afraid you wouldn't talk to me anymore because the test is over and you won't need my help."

"Don't be stupid." Rei opened the door and walked out, not even bothering to hold the door for her. Aya rolled her eyes as she opened the door for herself. If she ever wanted to catch up with him, she would have to increase her step. Then, Rei stopped walking and turned to look at Aya. "If it wasn't for you, I probably would of dropped out of school already."

Aya looked at him with of surprise. "Oh, I see." She struggled to say her next words as they started walking again. "Otohata-kun, why don't you like school?"

Rei shrugged his shoulders while they walked toward the front gate. "School wasn't meant for me. I hate it." They stopped in front of the school gate. Standing behind Rei, Aya looked down on at the ground. She kind of felt sorry for him. She wondered what his reasons were. She wanted to ask him why he hated school so much, but she knew Rei would probably never tell her.

She walked toward him so that she was standing right in front of him. She gave him a sweet smile. "Don't worry, Otohata-kun. I won't let you drop out of school. I'll help you stay on top of your game."

"On top of my game?" Rei asked her, raising an eyebrow. Aya nodded cheerfully. "Yes. If you ever need anything, you can always come to me. After all, we are friends, right?"

Rei hesitated to answer her. Aya looked at him with a bashful look on her face. She couldn't believe that she actually had the courage to talk to him like that. She never knew that she had such guts to say such things. She really surprised herself sometimes.

"If you say so." Rei began to walk away. Aya sighed to herself as she placed her hand over her chest. He didn't admit that they were friends, but at least he was talking to her. Aya watched him with gentle eyes. He had said that if it wasn't for her, he would have dropped out of school already. What could he have possibly meant by that?

Aya was about to follow him when she felt someone grab her hand from behind. Turning her head, Aya realized that it was Yuuya. "Hey, Aya-chan! What are you doing? Are you waiting for Ran and Miyu?"

He stopped talking and turned back to look at the school. He placed his hand on his forehead as he squinted his eyes. Then, he looked back at Aya. "I don't see them. They told me to wait for them by the gate by I don't see them." He scratched the back of his head. "That's strange. Do you want to wait for them with me?"

"I don't know." Biting her lower lip, Aya looked in the direction that Rei had left and to her surprise, he was standing there, looking at her with intense eyes. Aya quickly looked away, pulling her hand from Yuuya's grasp. She wanted to go with Rei. He was waiting for her. Aya shifted her eyes toward Yuuya and wondered if he had seen Rei already.

"C'mon, Aya-chan." Yuuya insisted. "After we go grab a bite, we're going to hang around. It'll be fun." He pinched Aya playfully in the nose, causing her to laugh a bit. "Getting your nose off books might do you some good, you know. You need to relax and enjoy yourself."

"So you finally accepted Ran and Tatsuki-chii being together?" Aya asked him curiously, placing her hands on her hips. To her surprise, Yuuya begin to sulk in his own little thought. Aya smiled at him. "I'm sorry, Yuuya. I didn't mean to rub it in."

Yuuya shook his head, grabbing her hand again to her displeasure. She glanced to her right to see if Rei was still there. Of course, Rei was still standing there with his hands crossed. Aya gulped nervously, turning back to look at Yuuya. Rei looked so mad and annoyed like if he was about to explode with rage. Aya didn't understand why he was mad. She could feel his aura of greif coming toward her pounding her down like a hammer and a nail.

"It's okay, Aya-chan." He smiled at her, gripping her hand tightly. "It's going to be a while until I get over her. I never got the chance to tell her how I feel." He sighed sadly.

Aya didn't know what to say to encourage him. She gently pulled her hand away. "Oh, Yuuya. I'm sorry. I'm sure one day you'll find the right girl. Just hang in there, okay?" She smiled at him.

Yuuya stared at her, his eyes sparking like jewels as he took a step closer toward her. Aya's eyes widen a bit while the urge to walk away from him increased. He placed his hand on her arm. A shiver ran down her spine. She wasn't used to being so close to a guy. It made her nervous and to make things worse, she didn't know what to say. Aya looked at Yuuya straight in the eyes. "Yuuya? Are you okay?"

"It's nothing." Yuuya assured her, pulling her closer toward him. "I'm glad to have a friend like you, Aya. You really listen to people and you care about others. Aya, you're an amazing person. It's kind of hard not to falling for you."

Yuuya's words caused Aya's heart to pound loudly. Aya looked around the area to find everyone staring at them. Her face immediately flushed a deep shade of red. "Yuuya? What are you doing? Everyone is staring at us. They're going to get the wrong idea."

Aya noticed that Yuuya wasn't listening to her. He kept getting closer and closer to her. Aya began to lean back away from him. She didn't know exactly what he was trying to do and she didn't want to know. "Aya," He said in a quiet, yet very determined voice. "If only I had fallen in love with you. That would have been great."

"Yuuya, you don't know what you're saying." Aya laughed nervously. Then she felt Yuuya grab her shoulders sternly. Her face flushed when she heard people gasping all around them. She wished the earth would just swallow her. She also wished that Rei leave already. "Yuuya, stop this. Everyone is watching. Ran's going to get mad if she sees us like this."

Shaking his head, Yuuya let out a deep sigh. "Aya, what would you say if I asked you out?"

Aya's eyes widen, pushing him back. Her heart was pounding so loudly and her face felt so hot. She placed her hands over her cheeks, trying to calm herself down. This was the first time a guy had asked her something like that. She looked at Yuuya. He was staring back at her, shocked and surprised. Of course, he would be looking at her like that. She had pushed him after all. No one would ever expect that from the quiet and timid Aya Hoshino. "I'm sorry, Yuuya. I didn't mean to push you. I just wasn't expecting that question from you."

"Why? Don't you ever see us as being something more than friends?" Yuuya asked her with an embarrassed look. Aya bit her lower lip while her hands began to tremble. Yuuya was acting so differently. Usually, he was cheerful and happy. Now, he was a bit gloomy and he wasn't radiating with self confidence as he usually was.

"Yuuya, I thought you liked Ran. I mean you can't just be over her like that." Aya gripped tightly on her bag, taking a step back. She was afraid that if Yuuya got any closer to her, she might actually start to fall for his charms.

"I don't know, Aya. I always thought Ran was my everything." Yuuya admitted, but then he a smile formed on his face. "Something always stopped me from confessing my feelings to her. I didn't know what it was. Now, I do." Aya took another step back, hoping Yuuya next words had nothing to do with her. "I realized," He continued. "You are the one I-"

"Let's go. I can't wait for you forever, you know." Aya looked up and saw Rei standing right next to her. Her face began to scream with the color red as Rei grabbed her hand, right in front of everyone. Before walking away, Rei gave Yuuya a long cold glare. "Sorry to interrupt."

Aya waved at Yuuya as Rei pulled her away, out of school grounds. They walked the next minute in silence until Rei dropped Aya's hand. She looked at him surprisingly. "Damn. Can't you even speak for yourself? That guy was all over you and you just let him."

With a flustered face, Aya stopped walking. Her mouth felt dry and her throat felt like it was tied in a million knots. "Yuuya is my friend. He would never do something that he would regret later. He's nice to me and he's always there for me."

Rei rolled his eyes, turning back to look at her. "Friends? Doesn't look like it to me. You two seem pretty close. Perfect for each other, in fact. I give you my blessing."

Aya gritted her teeth as her feet stomped over to Rei. "I told you already! Yuuya is my friend! There's nothing going on between me and him! He drools over my friend Ran. He loves her. I don't understand why he's being so kind towards me. He probably just feels depressed that Ran is going out with someone else. He needs someone to comfort him."

"In other words," Rei placed his finger on his chin, pretending to be thinking. "You're second on his list. You're his rebound."

"What? I don't know what you're talking about. All I know is that he loves Ran and he would do anything for her. I'm just his friend." Aya's face suddenly dropped with a frown. She looked down, trying to hide her eyes with her hair. "Besides, I doubt he'd be interested in a girl like me. A girl that can't speak up for herself." She sighed sadly. "Guys never look at me twice."

"Hmph." Rei crossed his hands, rolling his eyes. "Trust me. I've looked at you more than once." Aya looked up him. A sincere smile was forming across his face. "And I don't regret it."

Aya began to laugh, covering her mouth with her hand. The smile from her face wouldn't go away. Her heart began to feel warm and happy like if she had just seen the sun come up on a rainy day. Rei had actually said something sweet to her. He was trying to cheer her up and so far it was working.

"And," Rei continued, placing his hands in his pockets. "I'm sorry for interrupting your conversation with your boyfriend. I didn't mean too." Aya sighed heavily. Unfortunately, Rei's stubbornness and sarcasm would never go away.

"Rei, he's not my boyfriend. How many times do I have to tell you that?" Aya exclaimed to him.

"I don't know." He shrugged and began to walk again. "You're going to have to keep saying it until I get it straight in my head."

Sighing for the hundredth time, Aya followed behind Rei. Then a smile appeared on her face. She had done it. Rei was finally her friend. That was good enough to make her happy all day. Aya looked up sky, letting the sun soak her up with warmth. Having Rei next to her was enough to warm her heart up. This was one time were she actually felt happy that she was Aya Hoshino.

…

"C'mon, Otohata-kun!" Aya pleaded as she bent down to put Dylan in his leash. "Have a walk with us. It's still early. Let's walk my dog together, okay?"

Rei sighed annoyingly as Aya stepped outside from her house. He began to walk ahead of her. Aya frowned a bit, following him with Dylan by her side. She could tell that Rei wasn't really fond of dogs. Aya sighed and gave her pet a sweet look. She didn't have a choice, but to put up with Rei's I-don't like-dogs attitude.

"Hey, Otohata-kun?" She walked next him, tilting her head so that she had a better look at him. "I was wondering why you hate school so much. I might I understand that you might dislike school, but you said that you hate it. Why? What's your reason?"

"Heh." Rei huffed a laugh that made Aya blush a bit. "Is that what has been troubling you? Don't be stupid. Stop worrying over useless crap like that."

Taken aback by Rei's cold Tone, Aya gulped and gripped tightly on Dylan's leash. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you would take it so personal." Aya looked at the ground while they started walking toward the park. "I just wanted to know."

"Well, it's none of your business." Rei replied to her fluster tone of voice. Aya sighed and looked up. They were in the entrance of the park. Swelling memories began to fill Aya's mind. She remembered when she had found Rei half dead around here. For some reason, that thought made her nervous. Once again, she was with Rei in the park while the sun was starting to set, giving the sky an orange color.

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry for asking." Aya told him seriously. She pulled Dylan's leash and started walking in front of Rei. It was a mistake asking him to come along with her. She didn't know why he had bothered in the first place. It was obvious that she still annoyed him. "Next time, I won't bother." Aya stated with a shrug.

"Yeah, right." Rei commented. Aya stopped walking, turning back to look at him. She pouted while a dark smirk appeared on his face. "You always come running to me. Alwayd depending on others. I'm surprised you're still alive."

"There is nothing surprising about that." Aya kneeled down next to her dog and patted him in the head. She scratched him behind the ears which sent his tail wagging like crazy. "I have Dylan to protect me. He would never let anything happen to me."

"A dog? You trust your life to a dog?" Rei asked her when he finally caught up with her. His smirk furthered deeper. "Yeah, you're really going to live long."

Aya sighed as she stood up straight. "For your information, I can take care of myself. I've been doing it for years. I don't need my parents to live on my own. Believe it or not, I'm a pretty dependent person. I don't like to burden others with my problems if you haven't noticed."

Rei gave her a sympathetic look that made her melt before giving her a cold shoulder again. "Well, I guess we do have something in common, then. I've lived by myself for years as well."

That caught Aya's full attention. Her body stiffen while she pulled Dylan's leash toward Rei. "Otohata-kun? You don't live with your parents? Did something happen to them?"

Rei opened his mouth to say something, but stopped since something caught his attention. He was staring forward with a somewhat surprised look on his face. Aya looked at him and then turned to look in the direction he was looking at. He was staring at a group of guys that were looking at him intensively. A lighting of fear struck Aya as her heart started to pound loudly. She pulled back on Dylan's leash since he started growling. To her relief, he stopped, but shortly afterward Rei started growling. She looked at him and was shocked to see an evil smirk on his face.

"Otohata-kun?" She said quietly, barely loud enough for him to hear. "What's going on? Who are they?"

"Heh. Who are they you say?" Rei repeated, loud in enough for the guys across from him to hear. They scolded at him angrily. "They're not worth an introduction."

"Is that what you think, Rei Otohata?" Aya looked at the one that just spoke. She immediately guessed that he was the leader of the group. He had fairly long brown hair with dark green eyes. He had a few piercings in his right ear while he wore baggy clothes. Aya looked again, realized that he and the other three guys were all wearing baggy clothes. Aya gulped as she saw him lift his fists in the air. "We got you pretty good last time, didn't we?" He exclaimed with an evil smirk that glowed with pride and victory.

"Wouldn't exactly call that a victory, bastard." Rei said back to them, rather calmly. "Seeing how you all jumped me at once." The guy with the green eyes took a step forward as he growled silently. Aya felt a shiver run down her spine.

"A fight is a fight. It doesn't matter how it's won." The guy said with smirk. He crossed his hands while the other guys nodded. "You are the great Rei Otohata after all. A few guys shouldn't be a problem for you." He paused, giving a low laugh. "That just shows how weak and pathetic you are."

Rei's hands turned to fists as he took a step forward. "At least I'm not an idiot like you."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say." The guy stated sarcastically, waving his hand like if he was talking to a dog. "So tell me, Rei Otohata. Where have you been recently? I've been looking for you all over the place. Then, I come with the news that your in school. I just couldn't believe it." The guy gave him a sly look. "Tell me. Is it true?"

Instead of giving him an answer, Rei gave him a long silent glare. After a few seconds, the guy started laughing hysterically. Aya's hands began to quiver as she took a step behind Rei. Dylan also quietly followed her.

"So, you are in school." The guy finally said, pushing his hair back. Then he stood up straight seriously and the grin wiped away from his face. He took a step forward, scaring Aya a bit. "That's so unlike you. Since when did school become your top priority?"

"It isn't." Rei replied to him coldly. Aya took another step back, but this time Dylan whimpered a bit, catching the guy's attention.

As soon as he made contact with Aya, he bellowed a laugh, making Aya tremble. He looked at her. When he took a step forward, Rei protectively stood in front of her. "My, My." The guy said, taking a step back. "This is what's keeping you busy? Is she your new little girlfriend?"

New? Aya's head jerked up a bit, staring at the guy who was speaking. Who was he? He seemed to know a lot about Rei. He knew knew a lot more than she did. Aya stared down at the ground, waiting for Rei to say something. To her dismay, he just stayed silent. Had Rei had girlfriends before? Is that what the guy meant when he had 'new little girlfriend'?

"She's nothing to me so keep her out of it." Rei exclaimed, pushing Aya back a little. Of course, Aya quickly noticed the worry and angst in his voice. Could it be that he actually cared about her? Her face flushed a bit at the thought of it.

The guy ignored Rei and was looking only at her. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss. I'm your boyfriend's number one nightmare, Kazuki Katase." Aya hid behind Rei's shoulder, gripping tightly on his shirt sleeve. It was obvious that this was bad news. He had already confessed that he was the one that had attacked Rei. If he could do something so drastically as that then he could probably do anything. He would hesitate to hurt her.

"Listen," Rei started without giving Aya glance. "Go home. This is something between me and this bastard."

"Otohata-kun, I can't just leave you here. They're not here to merely talk, you know. Please, Rei! Don't get yourself into anymore problems. Your wounds are barely starting to fully heal. If you get into a fight now, you'll just hurt yourself again." Aya told him worriedly, but only thing she received was a laugh from the guy named Kazuki Katase.

"Why don't you listen to her, Rei. Seeing that you don't stand a chance against us." Katase laughed again, motioning his guys to get ready to attack.

Aya gulped hard, gripping tightly to Dylan's leash. She began to tug on Rei's shirt, hoping that he would hear her plead. "Please, Rei. Let's go. I'm begging you."

He yanked his arm away from her. Aya looked at him with widen eyes of surprise. Tears threatening to fall. "Go away. This has nothing to do with you." Rei was about to run toward Katase, when Aya grabbed his hand, letting go of Dylan's leash. This time she was crying. "Please, Rei. Don't do this. I don't want you to get hurt."

Frustration and annoyance began to steam from his face. "Damn! I told you to fuck off! Why can't you get that through your head? This how nothing to with you!"

"That's where you're wrong!" Aya exclaimed, forgetting about all her surroundings, tears streaming down her face. "I'm not going to leave you here. I don't want you to get hurt!"

"But, I don't care. I could care less what happens to me." Rei told her. He had somehow cooled down a bit. "If they kill me, then they'll end up doing me favor."

"How can you say things like that?" Aya asked him, she gave Dylan a quick look to make sure that he was till there. "You talk like if you don't give a crap about your life." Aya buried her hands on her face as she started to cry. "I care what happens to you, Rei. You're my friend. Please, don't fight anymore."

"You're no one to order me around. You have no idea what these bastards have done to me. They've made my life a living hell." Rei turned to face Katase and the others. Aya of course was not going to give up on him so easily. She hugged him tightly around the arm, preventing him from walking.

Losing the last once of patience, Rei pushed her away, making her fall to the ground. She land on her behind next to Dylan who was wagging his tail, completely unaware of the situation. Aya looked up at him, tears falling freely from her eyes. It was amazing how things could change in a matter of seconds. When she had barely thought that Rei was finally her friend, everything collapsed. "Otohata-kun?" She said quietly. "Why? Why are you doing this?"

"I told you to fuck off!" He exclaimed again, giving her a cold glare that caused Aya to cry harder. "Leave me alone! This is my problem! It has nothing to do with you!"

That's when Aya finally snapped. She was tired of begging him. If he didn't want her around then she wouldn't insist any further. She stood up madly, grabbing Dylan's leash. She wiped her tears furiously with her hands and furrowed her eyebrows. She took a deep breath while anger boiled through her veins. "Fine! If that's the way you feel, then I'll leave! I'm sorry to have disturbed you and your little friends."

Aya pulled on Dylan's leash, but before she left she gave Rei one last look. "I won't ever talk to you again! It's clear that you really do hate me! Don't come crying to me when you're half dead!" Aya turned around and started walking away, leaving behind a mildly sadden Rei.

"You brought this on yourself," She heard Katase say. Aya turned around and saw them leaving with victorious smirks on their faces. She sniffed while tears continued to come out.

Looking down at Dylan, Aya gave him a small faint smile. "It's only me and you, now." She looked up at the sky and took a deep breath. "Good-bye, Otohata-kun. I promise to never talk to you again."

"I'll never worry about you again. Our connection was over from the beginning."

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><p><strong>Katase:<strong> I'll be back, guys! Don't worry._ *smiles evily*_


	8. Unexisting Barriers

**Gals!**

_Hey! I updated a lot faster than I thought!_

_I'd like to thank _Adeline _and _dyalicious _for their reviews!_

_Well, here it is chapter 8! Enjoy!_

* * *

><p><strong>Opposite Attractions<strong>

**Chapter 8 – Unexisting Barriers**

"Hello! Is anyone there? Hello!" Ran exclaimed as she waved her hand up and down in front of Aya's face. "Aya, have you been listening to us?"

Aya snapped from her thoughts, her head bolting up to look at Ran. She rubbed her eyes like a cat who had barely woken up from a nap and let out a big sigh. She had been completely lost in her thoughts the past few minutes that she had no idea what her friends had been talking about. Aya looked down at her lap as she looked at the rice ball in her hand. For some reason, her appetite had disappeared and Aya doubted it would return.

"Aya? Are you okay? You've been so spaced out the past few days." Miyu said worried as she placed her hand in her shoulder, startling Aya and making her jerk back a bit. "Is everything okay back at your house? Are your parents doing okay? If you need anything, you just let us know."

"Don't worry, Miyu." Aya looked down at her lunch box and slowly placed her rice ball back. She hadn't even taken a bit from her lunch. "I'm doing fine. My father is away on business and mother stops by every now and then. I'm guessing they're doing fine."

"Oh, Aya." Miyu gave her a sympathetic look that made Aya smile. "Don't hesitate to call us if you're feeling lonely." Miyu nudged Ran's shoulder, but she was to busy stuffing her mouth with food.

Taking a deep breath, Aya felt the warm breeze run up through her nostrils. They were eating outside under a tree. The sky was partly covered with clouds and the sun's warmth wrapped them with a friendly embrace. Aya sighed while she heard the leaves rustle in the tree. It was a perfect flawless day, but the cheery spirit that Ran and Miyu had just didn't reach her. Her heart ached like if pumping blood through out her body was a challenge.

"Ah, man! That was so good! You can really cook, Miyu!" Ran whipped her mouth with her hand, eying Miyu. Aya looked down at her lunch box. Then, she picked up slowly and handed it to Ran. She looked at Aya with delight while her eyes shined with hunger. "Are you giving it to me?"

"Of course I am. I'm not very hungry. You can take it if you like." Aya laughed a little as she insisted that Ran should take her lunch box. Without a second to spare, Ran snatched the box from Aya's hand and began to devour the food. "I'm glad to see you like it."

Ran looked at her and gave her an okay sign with her fingers before continuing her meal. Giving Ran one last look, Aya turned back to look at her lap. It had been a while since she had spend some time with her friends like this. No matter how hard she tried, though, Aya just couldn't enjoy herself. Sadness and pain were stuck inside her heart. Regret kept running through her mind. She wasn't in the mood to laugh or talk. She just wanted to go home and lock herself in her room.

"There you go again!" Ran suddenly hollered, dropping the empty bento box on the grass. Ran pointed at her with her index finger as she began to speak again. "Aya, if something is bothering you just tell us."

Aya fought her tears, but soon gave in and buried her face in her hands. She started crying, letting out everything that she carried inside her. How could she tell them? How could she tell them that Rei hated her? Three days had already passed since they had their argument. Aya couldn't talk to him because he hadn't shown up at school at all. She had no idea where to locate him or find him. She didn't know what had happen to him. He could be injured, half dead some where in the streets, or maybe even the hospital. She was afraid that she might never see him again. Aya shivered, trying to erase those thoughts away.

"Aya," Miyu wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tightly. Aya sniffed as she began to calm herself down. It was good to know that someone actually cared about her. "Aya, it's okay. You can tell us what's wrong. We're here for you." Ran leaned close to them. "Yeah, we are friends after all."

"I'm sorry." Aya told them wiping her tears. A small smile began to form on her face. "I'm sorry for worrying you guys. You know how I am. I cry for the smallest things. In fact, I cry for everything." Aya laughed a little while she took a deep breath. "Don't worry about me. I feel much better. A good cry does the trick."

Miyu placed her hands on Aya and pulled her away to look at her seriously in the face. "Aya. Don't expect Miyu to believe that nothing is wrong with you. You were crying your eyes out, Aya. What's causing you all this grief? Maybe if you tell us, we might be able to help you."

Ran nodded quite seriously for her own nature. "Yup. I agree with Miyu. Just tell us, Aya. I'm sure you'll feel much better."

Gulping, Aya hesitated. She could feel tingles of nervousness dancing on top of her skin, making her quiver. She couldn't tell them about Rei. She just couldn't. First of all, they didn't even know that she talked to him much less did they know that they were starting to become friends. They would never let her talk to a guy like Rei Otohata because of the rumors that were spreading around about him. Also, if Ran figured out that she was shedding tears because of him, she'll probably beat him up or something. That was something Aya wanted to avoid. She didn't want anymore conflicts with Rei. She was nothing to him.

"So," Ran began lifting a brow and giving her a suspicious look. "Are you going to tell us or not?" She leaned her face closer to Aya which made her lean back. She was starting to feel interrogated. "Don't make me squeeze the truth out of you, Aya. Something has been bothering you and I want to know what it is." She squinted her eyes and looked around. "Or who it is."

"Don't make a big deal out of it, Ran. It's nothing important. I was just over reacting." Aya waved her hands back and forth before receiving glares from Ran. "Well, three days ago, when I was on my way home, I bumped into Yuuya."

The mention of Yuuya got Ran and Miyu's attention in a flash. They looked at her with such interest like if it was matter of life or death. Aya sighed, placing her hands on her lap. She would have to tell them about her little drabble with Yuuya. She rather tell them about Yuuya than her problems with Rei. Then, a slight blush appeared on her face as the thought of Rei came back to her. She was worrying about him like if she was dating him and they had gotten into a lover's quarrel. Aya's lower lip quivered at the thought of Rei and her being a couple. She knew Rei would never date her. Not now. Not ever.

"Okay, so you bumped into Yuuya. What about it? I mean you see Yuuya all time." Ran exclaimed, raising her hands in the air. "Except for today. I wonder where he is."

"Anyways," Aya continued after being interrupted by Ran. "I bumped into him. He said that he was looking for you guys because you all had agreed to hang out together or something. He told me to wait with him. I didn't know what to do. Then he got close to me and out of no where he asked me what I would do if he were to ask me out."

Miyu and Ran exploded with excitement. Their squeals were what were scarring Aya the most. She wondered what kind of thoughts were through their heads to receive such a reaction. They scooted closer to Aya and grabbed her hand tightly. "What did you say to him?" Miyu asked her with curiosity while Ran smiled mischievously.

"Well, I was expecting something like that from him. I was surprised to hear him ask me that." Aya gave them a quick glance only to find a confused look on their faces. "I kind of pushed him away."

"You did what?" Ran hollered, flying her hands to her head. Miyu motioned her to be quiet as she placed her finger to her lips.

Aya just looked away a bit embarrassed about what she had told her friends. She felt sorry for Yuuya because she had just gotten him into a huge mess now. "Ran, you don't have to react that way. If you think about it, it's really not all that surprising." Aya paused as she began to fiddle with her fingers. "I don't like Yuuya. He doesn't love me. He loves someone else. He probably sees me more like his rebound." Aya stated, taking Rei's words.

"Well, I guess we can't force you to like him." Ran stated as she pouted, crossing her legs on the grass. "I guess there's nothing we can do about it."

Aya sighed with relief, glad that she understood how she felt. She was about to wrap her self in a bundle of joy when Ran suddenly burst her bubble.

"Hey, about that guy, Rei Otohata," Ran began, as she crossed her hands as well. "I haven't seen him around lately. I wonder why he's not in school." Miyu shrugged, but her eyes were focused on Aya. Of course, Aya noticed Miyu's look on her. Her eyes were stuck to her like glue.

"Why do you ask about him, Ran?" Miyu asked her. Aya watched as Miyu slowly picked up her lunch and placed it beside her. Aya gulped as she looked up to sky as if she were praying.

Ran moved toward Aya again, giving her a sly look. "It seems to me that Rei Otohata has a little crush on our little friend here." Aya gasped loudly when she realized that Ran was talking about her. "I've seen the way he looks at you, Aya. He won't stop staring at you during class. Haven't you noticed?"

Aya blushed madly while her heart raced faster than the wing flaps of a hummingbird. It felt like it was a about jump right out of her chest. She looked at Ran as she waved her hands back and forth. "Ran! What are you saying? There is no way a guy like Rei Otohata would ever like a girl like me. I'm sure you're just imagining it, Ran."

Pretty soon, Miyu jumped into the conversation as well, shaking her finger from side to side with a smile on her face. "Oh, Aya, but it's true. Miyu has noticed it too. He doesn't take his eyes of you."

"Miyu. Not you too." Aya placed her hands on her cheeks as she tried to cool them down. They were so hot. "I'm sure your just imagining it. Why would he stare at me?"

"And why wouldn't he stare at you? You're really cute!" Ran exclaimed loudly, but was immediately shushed by Miyu. Ran calmed herself down a little to Aya's relief. "I've been called dense before, but you're in complete denial!" Ran pointed her finger to Aya's face.

Aya quickly stood up after wrapping her lunch box in it's cloth. Her face was blushing madly and her palms were starting to sweat. She looked down at them with a nervous smile. "We should get going. Our lunch break is almost over and if we don't start walking soon, we'll be late." Aya gripped tightly on her lunch box as she began to walk away, leaving behind her friends with perplexed looks.

Increasing her steps, Aya began to rush toward the building. She didn't want to hear what her friends were saying about Rei. There was no way Rei could like her. Then again, she knew what her friends were saying weren't lies. She did feel Rei stare at her all the time, but she figured that he was just doing that to tease her. Aya stood in front of the school building while the wind caressed her hair.

She wondered where he was. She wondered if he was okay. Aya shuddered while she tried to get Rei out of her. Could it be possible that Rei actually liked her even after he had treated her so coldly? Aya had never thought about it. The more her mind pressed on the topic, the urgency to see him increased.

…

When class was finally over, everyone began to hustle themselves over to the door except for Aya. She pretended to be putting away her stuff. Her friends had left since a long time ago. They were going to go to their favorite noodle shop. They had invited her as well, but of course she declined their offer saying that she was going to spend time with Dylan.

After the classroom was finally empty, Aya stood up straight with her bag in her hand. She took a deep breath as she walked over to the teacher who was filing away some papers in his cabinet. Aya wondered if he had noticed her. "Sensei?"

Nakanishi looked up at her and Aya noticed how his face relaxed when he saw that it was her. "Ah, Aya Hoshino. How may I help you?"

Aya scratched the back of her head while her face blushed with embarrassment. "Well, Nakanishi Sensei," Aya began nervously. The teacher looked at her curiously as he sat down on his chair. "The truth is that I'm worried about Otohata-kun. He hasn't come to school for three days now. I need to know if he's okay."

"I'm sorry, Miss Hoshino. Rei hasn't called in sick nor has his parents. I'm afraid I don't have any information to tell you about him." He told her truthfully. Aya's face suddenly dropped into a frown as she looked down at the floor. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Not knowing exactly what to say, Aya bit her lower lip as she hesitated to say her next words. Her heart started to pound again with great speed as an image of Rei appeared in her mind. "I know you're not suppose to give students information about other students, but I'm really worried about Rei. The last time I saw Rei, he didn't look so good. Please, Sensei. Tell me where Rei lives."

"I don't know if I can do that, Miss Hoshino." He replied in a grave tone. All of Aya's hopes to see Rei suddenly flushed away along with her hope to reconcile with him. "I could get in trouble if I give you any personal information about another student. I'm very sorry. Let's hope he shows up tomorrow."

Aya smiled at her teacher even though deep down inside she wanted to cry. The stress was getting her. She had not seen Rei in three days. She was afraid that something had happened to him. Yesterday, she had even gone to the park with hopes that she might catch of glimpse of him somewhere. To her disappointed, Rei was no where in sight. Aya forced her tears in since she didn't want the teacher to see her cry. He would probably start to think that something was wrong with her. Aya forced a smile on her face as she bowed slowly. "I'm sorry to have bothered you."

Getting ready to let her tears burst out, Aya heard the teacher call her back in just as she was about to step foot outside the classroom. Aya spun around in disbelief and looked at Nakanishi. She tried to read his face, but would come out empty each time. "Did you say something, Sensei?"

He waved her over to his desk again. Of course, Aya immediately did was she was told. She stood once again in front of Nakanishi's desk waiting for him to say something.

Unfortunately, he didn't do anything until several seconds later. He opened one of cabinets, pulling out a big thick white binder that was packed with papers. It was so full that papers were literally falling out. Aya wondered what it was, but then he pulled out black folder and placed it on the desk. When he opened it, Aya noticed that it also had papers inside it only they were a lot neater. He pulled out a couple of stapled papers and placed them on the table. Aya looked at him in awe when his face lit up.

"Here they are." Nakanishi exclaimed happily as he turned to face Aya. She guessed that the papers in her teacher's hands had something to do with Rei. Nakanishi grabbed an empty sticky note and began to jot something down. After he was done, he handed the note to Aya. She looked at it, realizing that it was an address. "There you go. That's Rei Otohata's address."

"But, Sensei," Aya was about to give the note back when she stopped. She could finally visit Rei, why was she going to give it back? "Are you sure you want to give this to me? Won't you get in trouble?"

"Don't worry about it, Miss Hoshino. Take it and go. If Rei doesn't come back soon, then there will be severe consequences." The teacher stated. "Besides, I trust you. After all, you got Rei to pass his test with a very satisfying grade."

Blushing, Aya looked down at the note. Rei passed his test and it was all thanks to her. The joy that was developing inside her was indescribable. If she were by herself, she would probably start crying out of happiness.

"Thank you so much, Sensei!" Aya bowed again before running out the classroom. Her mind more determined than ever to find Rei. She had promised that she wouldn't talk to him anymore, but she didn't care. She was worried about him and even if he did hate her, that would never stop her. Right now, she had to make sure that he was okay.

…

Fear stricken, Aya's body stiffen as she stood in front of Rei's apartments. It had already been 30 minutes since she had left the school. Because of her lack of direction, Aya had trouble finding Rei's home, but in the end she made it. Aya took a deep breath as she checked the address again. Then she looked around her surroundings. There was no doubt about it. She was in Rei's apartment complex.

It wasn't exactly how she had pictured it though. Rei's apartment looked old and pretty worn out. If she didn't know any better, Aya would have thought that they were going to tear down the place. She gulped, gripping tightly on her bag. She had come all this way and yet, she had no idea if Rei was going to be home. He had told her that he lived alone so there was no worry that she might bump into his mother or father. Aya wondered if he had brothers or sisters. Aya looked up at the building. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She was so nervous that she felt like running away.

Aya was about to turn around and leave when she stopped herself. She had come all this way. How could she turn back now when she was so close? Aya opened the gate and stepped inside Rei's apartment complex. A sigh of grief escaped her lips as she began to search for Rei's apartment number. "510," Aya whispered to herself as she read the numbers on the door. "510."

Aya groaned as she saw that she was in front of the door with the number 128 on it. She had no idea where she was going. There were so many different paths that led to different directions. Another thing that was giving her a hard time was that everything looked the same. How would she ever know where apartment 510 was at? Aya sighed when she spotted someone.

In front of her stood a small girl about 10 years of age with a doll in her hand. Her hair was a mess, but her uniform looked fairly cleaned. Aya walked toward the girl slowly so that she wouldn't startle her. Aya smiled at her and waved. The girl didn't say anything, but gave her a mean look. "Hello there." Aya started. The girl didn't seem to be amused by her presence. "Can you tell me where apartment 510 is at?"

The girl didn't say anything, but after a few moments she pointed to her left and told her to keep walking straight. Aya thanked her and started walking in that direction the girl had said. She hoped that the girl hadn't tricked her and sent her of in another direction. If she had, then that would be embarrassing. Aya couldn't believe how she could get lost finding Rei. Aya walked slowly until she finally spotted Rei's apartment.

It was just like all the others; old, raggedy, and worn down. Her house looked like perfection compared to these apartments. Aya wondered why Rei would live in such a place like this, but then it occurred to her that maybe the rent was cheap and that was why he lived here. Aya didn't know his reasons and at the moment it didn't matter. She came here to see if he was okay. Once she was finished with that, then she would never talk to him again.

Aya walked toward the door, but hesitated to knock. What if he would get angry that she was in his home? He had always tried to push her away from his personal life, so what would he say when he finds her here? Aya was about to turn away and run, when she noticed some creepy guy that was staring at her hungrily. Aya gulped as she finally knocked anxiously. After a couple of seconds of silence, Aya knocked again this time louder since the guy looking at her wouldn't take his eyes of her.

Then, she finally heard footsteps from inside. Her heart pounded loudly when she heard that someone was unlocking the door. Suddenly panic and doubt started to take over her body. What if Nakanishi had given her the wrong the address? What if Rei gave the school a fake address? Aya was starting to regret going there when someone finally opened the door.

"I already paid the rent, so leave me the fuck alone." Rei started, but stopped when his eyes made eye contact with hers. Aya smiled at him nervously as she waved at him. Of course, Rei didn't look to happy to see her. "What the hell are you doing here? Who told you I lived here?"

Aya looked at him and a deep shade of red flushed to her cheeks along with a wave of embarrassment. Her heart began to melt inside her at the sight of Rei. His hair was messy and was sticking up from several sides. He was shirtless, showing his perfect bare chest to Aya. His pants were unbutton and unzipped, making his boxers slightly visible. Aya was screaming inside her head, wishing that she could just turn back time. What ever possessed her to come to Rei's apartment? Aya stood in silence while a gust of wind blew on her face. Her eyes never left the ground though. She couldn't get herself to stare at Rei. It was just to much for her to handle. Aya gripped tightly on her bag since she didn't know what to say, much less what to do.

"Hey," Rei said as leaned toward her. Aya looked up, her face face turning different shades of red. "I asked you a question. What the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry." Aya apologized not so sure for what, though. "Please, don't be angry. I know I broke my promise to never talk you again, but I just had to come check on you. You haven't been at school for three days. I thought that something might have happened to you. I needed to make sure that you were okay."

A tiny smirk appeared on his face which made Aya's body stiffen. "I told you. You always come looking for me. It's quite tiring to see your annoying face. Your always getting into people's business. It pisses me off."

Aya pouted, crossing her hands. Every time she did something nice for Rei, he always ended up repaying her by giving her the cold shoulder. "I see that you're doing fine. I just came to tell you that if you don't show up at school, you're going to get in trouble." She paused, giving Rei one last glance. "Sorry to have disturbed you. I guess I'll be leaving."

She turned around and was about to leave, when Rei grabbed her by the waist, pulling her towards him. Aya's eyes widen when she felt Rei's hot breath on her neck. What was he going to do? Her heart raced wildly while her face blushed like crazy.

"Do you wanna come in?" He whispered in her ear, feeling his hot breath tickle her skin.

Aya closed her eyes slowly as she tried to absorb everything that was happening. She stayed silent, pulling herself from Rei's arms. She looked at him straight in the eyes. When Rei saw her flustered and partly disturbed face, a mischievous smirk appeared on him. Aya shook her head as she looked away from him.

"I'll come in if you promise not to do anything weird." Aya stated referring to the way he had just grabbed her. Even if he was just playing around with her, Aya heart hadn't taken it as lightly as Rei probably expected it too.

"Yeah, sure. He would want to have sex with uncute girl like you." Rei shrugged his shoulders. Aya gritted her teeth while her face continued to get hotter and hotter by the minute.

"Also, put a shirt on!" Aya exclaimed, pointing with embarrassment to his chest even though it wasn't the first time that she saw him like that.

"Sorry. That's something I won't do." Rei told her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him. "I think you like me better this way."

Aya shook her head as she looked down at Rei's hand holding hers. She liked the feeling of his hand holding hers, but of course, she wasn't going to tell him that. That would make his ego hard to handle then it already was. "Rei! Put a shirt on or I won't come in."

"Afraid of me." Rei laughed a bit. Aya didn't find it so funny as memories came flooding inside her. Rei let go of her hand and smiled with a tint of kindness. "Don't worry. I won't do anything."

Still not very convinced, Aya nodded as she walked inside Rei's apartment for the very first time, not sure what to expect.

* * *

><p><em>TBC...<em>

_Thanks for reading!_


	9. Twisted

**Gals!**

_Here is chapter 9! I'm updating this story as soon as I get the chance!_

_I'm not to proud of this chapter, but I had to get it out or else the story can't go on._

_As you can tell I don't like to rush things to much._

_Feel free to review! It's okay if you don't, I'm just happy that people read!_

* * *

><p><strong>Opposite Attractions<strong>

**Chapter 9 – Twisted**

The moment she stepped inside she was taken aback by how messy it was. She was still by the entrance and there was dirty clothes everywhere. What can you expect from a guy's apartment? Aya looked around, standing still and motionless while she heard Rei close the door behind her. He walked ahead of her with his hands in his pockets. Aya took a step forward and took a peek at the living room. It was exactly as she had expected it to be; messy and partially empty. Also, the entire room was pretty dark. If it was not for the lamp that stood on the far right corner, Aya would have probably crashed into a wall. There was a small sofa that was leaning against the wall and across from it a table with a TV on top. Aya wondered if it even worked.

"Are you just going to stand there looking like an idiot?" Rei suddenly asked as he plopped himself in a chair in front of a small brown dinning table. Aya tilted her head a little as she took another step forward. She still couldn't believe that she was actually inside Rei's home.

Rei pointed his finger toward the kitchen while his eyes irritated with amusement. He had an evil grin on his face like a man who had just won the gamble. Without making much effort, he spoke to her, sending goosebumps all over her skin. "Since you're here, you can start by making me something to eat."

"Excuse me?" Aya asked quietly while her eyebrow tweaked up. Her heart started to pick up the pace. "I thought you were mad at me."

"Hmph." Rei disdainfully crossed his hands, giving her a stiff glare, making Aya gulp. "Why would I be mad at you, stupid? You're so annoying."

Aya pouted and walked over to the sofa. She could feel Rei's eyes stare at her. Placing her bag on top of the sofa, Aya let out a weary sigh. Well, at least she confirmed that Rei wasn't mad at her. That had been bothering her for the last few days. She was glad to know that she and Rei were still in good terms even though that meant that she would have to listen to his childish insults.

"Okay, fine." Aya finally gave in and twisted her body to look at Rei. "I'll make something for you to eat. What do you want? Is there anything you had in mind?"

"No. Just make something." Rei snapped at her.

When she saw that Rei shrugged his shoulders, Aya rolled her eyes as she hurried over to his kitchen. The kitchen sink was empty to her surprise. There were no dirty dishes or plates. Aya opened a cabinet door and to her dismay, found it empty. She placed her hands on her hips, turning in circles. Where could he have all the dishes, pots, and pans? How could she cook when he didn't have any cooking utensils? Aya opened another cabinet and to her luck, she found a few pots. They looked like they hadn't been used for years. Aya was about to call out to Rei, but instead walked over to the dirty looking refrigerator. She opened it and of course, she found it almost empty. There was only a carton of milk and few other small things.

"Otohata-kun!" Aya hollered from the kitchen. "There isn't anything. Why is that? You hardly have food, you have no dishes, no nothing." She walked out of the kitchen and toward Rei. She looked at him, giving him a look of sympathy. "Why is it almost empty, Otohata-kun? Do you not have enough money to buy groceries? I could always help you out if you want me too."

Rei scratched the back of his head, looking away from her. "That's not it. I have money. I just don't like spending much."

"What are you saying? Are you that selfish that you don't even spend money on food?" Aya asked him. She understood why he wanted to save money and all, but he didn't have to take such extreme measures.

"Don't jump to conclusions," Rei started with a dry tone in his voice. "There's no point in buying groceries since I can't cook. I usually just eat out. It's easier and painless."

Aya flinched a little as she looked at Rei. "Oh, so you can't cook. That's why, then. Where do you get the money to eat out? Do your parents give you money?" Aya paused while Rei gave her a meaningful glare. She was asking a lot of questions, but she couldn't help it. Her nerves were jumping with curiosity. "Do you have a job, maybe?"

"I used to." Rei replied to Aya's surprise. She began to feel happiness in her heart because Rei had actually answered her question. She felt like jumping with joy. "I used to have a job, but they fired me because I started picking a fight with a customer."

Shaking her head, Aya let out a small snicker as the image of Rei fighting appeared in her mind. He always seemed to be in a bad mood even though he wasn't. When he would give you a glare, you could feel the chilliness that was admitted from his aura. It was quite frightening."I told you before. Violence only causes problems. You can't just try and fight the whole world. If you keep that attitude up then you won't have any friends. You'll be lonely for the rest of your life."

"I'm not alone right now even though I wish I was." Rei stated, pushing his hair back from his face. Aya just rolled her eyes and decided to ignore Rei's comment. "Yeah, whatever." She walked over to the sofa and sat down. Looking down at her lap, Aya suddenly felt her throat get dry. "What do I do then? Are you going to eat out?"

"I like your cooking better." Rei admitted quietly, avoiding her gaze and hiding his eyes with his hair.

Aya blushed a deep shade of red as she turned to look away from him. He had just said that he liked her cooking. That was probably one of the nicest things that he had said to her the whole day. Aya couldn't help, but feel happy that Rei's foul mood was slowly disappearing. "Well, in that case," Aya stood up slowly from the sofa, but still dared not to look at Rei. "I guess I could make something. I'll try to look for something. After all, you did just say that you liked my cooking. Couldn't have gotten a better compliment."

Dashing once again to the kitchen, Aya began to look everywhere. Finally, when she opened the closet that was beside a window, Aya found a bag of rice. Her eyes lit up while she sighed with relief. She grabbed the bag of uncooked rice. "Look, Otohata-kun!" Aya exclaimed. She raised the bag of rice in the air as an attempt to show it to Rei. "I found some rice. I could make you some rice!"

"Yeah, sure." Rei replied with no sign of excitement in his voice. "Make what you like as long as it's food." Aya nodded as she looked at the kitchen like if she was getting ready for war. "When you're done," Rei continued. "Wash the dishes. If there's something I hate more than you, it's dirty dishes and me having to wash them."

Aya gritted her teeth at Rei's unnecessary comment. "I know that." She barked at him as she dropped the bag of rice on the counter. "Even if you hadn't asked me, I was still planning on cleaning up after I was done."

Pulling out a pot and few other ingredients, Aya got to work. She began to make Rei some plain white rice since he wanted to eat her cooking. Unfortunately, she couldn't whip up something delicious like she had last time for lunch since she had only a limited amount of sources. Aya sighed as she began to wash the pot with water and dish soap. It felt weird being in Rei's kitchen, making Rei something to eat. If she ever married him, then this is how it was going to be. Aya blushed madly as she scrubbed the pot with a sponge. Shivers ran through out her body because the faucet's water was freezing.

After 20 minutes or so, when Aya was finally finished, she placed some hot rice on a bowl she had also found in the cabinet along with the pot. Her heart pounded as she walked out the kitchen with Rei's sad and simple meal. For some reason, she felt kind of bad. She would have loved to make Rei something absolutely delicious. She placed the bowl in front of Rei before giving a warm smile.

He looked up at her and then examined the rice carefully. Then, he smirked at her. "Thanks." Aya blushed as she walked over to her bag. She pulled out some chopsticks and sheepishly handed them to him. Rei took them and began to eat.

Aya sighed as she sat across to him. Leaning her elbow on the table and her head on her hand, Aya stared at him as he ate. His exterior complex was so perfect. He had the perfect body and the perfect face, the only flaw he had was his attitude. If he became nicer, then he would be swarmed by girls. Aya shook that thought away as a tint of jealousy developed inside her. The image of Rei being with another girl really made her feel depressed. Then again, there was no reason for her to feel that way. That Katase guy had said that she was Rei's 'new little girlfriend'. She wondered who was Rei's 'first little girlfriend'.

"It's kind of hard to eat when you're being stared at." Rei said, snapping Aya from her thoughts. She looked away bashfully while she heard Rei laugh. "Am I that good looking?" He asked her with sarcasm spilling from his voice.

She furrowed her eyebrows, slamming her hands on the table. "No, I wasn't staring at you. I was thinking about Dylan. I hope the neighbor went to go check on him. I would hate to know that he's sad and lonely. It breaks my heart."

Rei stopped eating his rice and placed a chopstick to his stick. "Who's Dylan?"

"He's my dog!" Aya exclaimed. How many times had Rei seen her dog? It was incredible to see how forgetful he could be. "Don't you remember? It's my brown little dog. I love him so much!"

"It's a dog." Rei told her plainly, placing some rice in his mouth. "He has no feelings."

Aya crossed her hands in disbelief. "He's not just a dog. And he does have feelings."

Putting rice in his mouth, Rei glanced at her. He looked down at his almost empty bowl of rice. "Aren't you going to eat some? You did make it. You have the right to eat as well. Go ahead. I don't mind."

She nodded her head, letting out a sigh. "It's fine. I'm not very hungry."

Rei rolled his eyes as he finally finished his rice. Aya smiled at him. "So how was it? Was it good? I know it probably wasn't satisfying, but it was the only thing that I could make. I'm sorry."

"What the hell are you apologizing for?" Rei shook his head as he closed his eyes. "You're so weird. It was good."

"Really? I'm glad to hear it." Aya secretly blushed while her heart started to pound rapidly. She glanced at Rei only to find herself staring at Rei's bare chest. He still hadn't put on a shirt and was showing his perfect body. Aya felt a knot in her throat. "If you go to school tomorrow, I promise to take you a lunch box."

"If you think that your lunches are going to motivate me to go to school, then you're wrong." Aya grumbled under her breath before Rei continued. "I will go, though. I'm probably starting to fall behind and don't want the teacher to force you to help me."

"The teacher didn't force me to help you. I helped you because I wanted to and it looked like you needed it too. Ah, speaking of school, the teacher told me that you passed the test. He didn't exactly tell me your grade, though. He just said that you passed. I was so happy to hear it." Aya smiled at him happily.

For the next couple of minutes, they stood in silence. Neither one of them looking at each other. Aya's legs began to tremble while she began to fiddle with her fingers. Suddenly, she got up and picked up Rei's empty bowl. "I guess I should wash the dishes now."

She walked over to the kitchen again and placed every single dish that she had gotten dirty in the sink. Aya wanted to put the dishes in the dishwasher, but she suspected that it didn't work. Sighing, Aya turned on the faucet and began to scrub the pot first. Her mind drifting to another world. When she first set her eyes on Rei, Aya would have never imagined that she would become friends with him. Now, she was here, washing Rei's dishes like if she was his wife. A minute or so ticked by and before she knew it, Aya was washing the last dish.

Then, Aya saw a hand stretch out beside her and twisted the faucet off. Her eyes widen when she felt two strong arms grab her by the waist. They were obviously Rei's since his hands were one of a kind. Her face blushed when she felt Rei place his head on the side of her neck. She could feel Rei's hot breath on her skin. He pulled her closer and tighter towards him. Everything was silent. The only thing that was heard was their loud breathing, their loud panting. Her heart pounded and raced with all it's might since it had never been in that sort of position. Aya, not knowing what to do, closed her eyes, letting that feeling sink inside her. She could feel Rei's bare chest behind her, his warm bare chest sending a wonderful sensation all over her body.

Aya stood still as Rei lifted his head. Her cheeks were still hot and red to her dismay. She didn't want Rei to see her like that. He would immediately conclude that she was childish and immature. "Thank you for everything you have done for me. I owe you." He whispered in her ear, a tingling feeling run down her spine. "Let me repay you."

"What are you saying, Rei?" Aya asked as she laughed nervously. She quickly pulled away from his grasp, taking a few steps away from him. "You're always making fun of me. It's not funny, Rei. I'm not those type of girls that take things lightly." She paused as she looked at the ground. "Besides, it seems like there was someone else before me."

"What?" He asked. Deep down inside, Aya was glad that he hadn't heard her. "Oh, never mind. I have to get going. My poor dog must be really hungry."

She walked away from Rei and went into the living room. Grabbing her bag, Aya was about to turn around and leave when she noticed the study guide she had given Rei was sitting on a small shelf beside the TV. She silently smiled to herself as she walked toward the door. It made her happy to know that Rei had actually kept the journal that she had given him. Rei walked her to the door as he grabbed a shirt that was laying on a chair beside the entrance. He put it on and gave out a long big sigh.

"Well," Aya began before opening the door. "I'll see you tomorrow at school. Don't be late, okay? The teacher said that if you don't show up to school soon there will be serious consequences."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I'll be there, okay. You don't have to bite my head off." Rei said under his breath in annoyed tone. When she smiled at him, Aya noticed his face expression cool down. Rei opened the door for her and Aya stepped outside. She was so busy looking outside that she didn't notice Rei putting on his shoes.

Aya turned to look at him again. "Bye, Otohata-kun. I'll see you tomorrow." She stood up on her tip toes and with a blush on her face, she gave Rei a small peck on the cheek. She backed away embarrassed and saw that Rei was also a bit surprised, but he didn't seemed bothered by it.

Walking away with a triumphant smile on her face, Aya noticed that Rei was following her. She turned to looked at him, perplexed and confused. "Otohata-kun? Where are you going?"

"Where do you think I'm going, stupid?" Rei continued walking, shortly after being followed by Aya. "I'm going to walk you home. Your like a magnet to trouble. If you're not being bullied, you're being harassed by people. It's obvious you can't take care of yourself."

She placed her hands on her hips, lifting an eyebrow. "Oh, is that so? Then are you going to protect me from them or what?"

"If you say so," He responded as he looked around.

Aya sighed as she walked behind him. Then she noticed a whole bunch of guys that were staring at her. They looked like the guys that had attacked her the first day that she had met Rei. She gulped as she walked closer to Rei. Those guys really scared her. They were looking at her like if they were getting ready to eat her. Their eyes staring at her like if they were unclothing her.

Of course, Rei noticed her nervousness. He looked and saw a couple of guys eying the girl. Suddenly, he felt a strange rage inside him. He glared at them evilly before grabbing Aya's hand.

Blushing, Aya looked down at Rei's hand holding hers. He was holding her with a sense of protection that made Aya feel safe. He was there to protect her even though he didn't really admit it out loud. They walked together, hand in hand. Then Rei spoke. "Don't think that I'm holding your hand because I like you." He paused, glancing back at Aya. "I just don't want you to get lost or something."

"If you say so," Aya giggled, brushing some of her hair from her face.

…

Aya shook her foot impatiently as she watched the door carefully. Classes were about to start and there was still no sign of Rei. He had told her that he was going to come to school today. Aya sighed as she looked out the window. When was he going to get there? She couldn't take much more of it.

When Aya was about to reach the conclusion that Rei wasn't going to come to school, she saw him at the doorway, standing up and staring at her. Her face lit up, but she quickly covered it up with a serious look on her face. She turned to her book that was open in front of her and pretended to read. Inside she was jumping with joy because Rei had actually come back to school. He walked toward his desk with his stern face as usual, then he sat down on his chair. Aya fought the urge to turn around and greet him.

She spent all morning, fighting the urge to talk to him. For some reason, she felt so embarrassed to face him. There was a certain awkwardness that she would feel when she would look at him. She was probably feeling that way because of the way he had grabbed her yesterday in his house. She was definitely not expecting it.

…

Waiting for Rei, Aya stood in front of the classroom. It was finally time to go home, but the teacher told Rei that he needed to talk to him. The teacher was giving him the work that he had missed during the past three days. Aya looked at her hands that were carrying his Rei's lunch box. During lunch, Aya had wanted to give it to him, but she couldn't find him anywhere. After a few more minutes, Aya heard footsteps that were heading toward the door. The door opened and Aya found herself staring into Rei's blue eyes.

"What the hell are you doing? I thought you left already." Rei closed the door and started walking. Of course, Aya ignored his question. She was getting used to his cold greeting. She followed him quickly.

"I was going to leave, but I decided to wait for you because I still haven't given you this." Aya showed him the bento lunch box wrapped in a soft green cloth. "Here it's for you. I was going to give it to you during lunch, but I couldn't find you. Where were you?"

He smirked before replying to Aya's question. "I was with my girlfriend. I had no time to look for you."

"What?" Aya asked shocked as she stopped walking. Rei turned back to look at her. "You told me that you didn't have a girlfriend. You never told-"

"I'm just kidding, stupid." Rei remarked with a victorious grin on his face. Aya blushed while she looked at him with blazing eyes. "It's fun to mess around with you. Your reaction was so cute." He laughed while he started walking again. Aya stomped her foot on the floor and walked behind Rei again, gripping tightly on the lunch box.

"I don't find it funny at all, you know." Aya commented, but Rei wasn't paying attention to her. "Here. Just take your lunch. I made it for you, so at least pretend that you care."

Rei hesitated, but after pondering about it for a couple of seconds, he took the box. Instead of thanking her, Rei grabbed her hand and pulled her close to him. When they were only inches apart, he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. Aya's heart skipped a beat as she felt Rei's lips compressed against her skin. She could feel the blood inside her veins getting wild and flushing down with joy. Biting her lower lip, Rei departed from her and patted her head with his hand. "Thanks for the food."

"Oh, um, y-your w-welcome." Aya stuttered nervously as Rei gave her a sweet and sincere smile. She blushed even more when his eyes looked at her with an emotion of kindness. A couple of seconds ticked by and neither of them moved. Their gaze locked with each others. Rei suddenly sighed and began to walk away. This time though, Aya was too surprised to move.

"Hey," He called out, turning to look at her. "Are you going to just stand there? I can't wait for you forever."

Aya laughed happily as she followed him. Then they walked together out of the school building.

They never noticed that someone was watching them.

…

Stretching her arms, Aya walked home by herself. Rei had told her that he wanted to walk her home, but that he had other important things to do. She was slightly disappointed, but didn't show it. She told him that it was okay that she would be fine walking on her own. They departed from the school gate, each going in their own direction.

Sighing for the millionth time, Aya walked out of the park, spotting her home at the distance. It was about to be five, just the perfect time to feed and walk her dog. Then after that, she was planning to go to the library to find a book to read. A tinge of sadness was in heart though because she had wanted to spend her time with Rei. Aya shook her head after her last thought and picked up her speed.

What in the world was she thinking? She wanted to spend time with Rei? He was only her friend. There was nothing more going on between them. Could it be possible though that she actually like him? The wonderful feeling that she would get when he was near her still lingered inside her. When he held her by the waist, she didn't want him to let her go. She let him go because he didn't really mean it. It was all a game to him. He didn't hold her hand, kiss her forehead, or hug her because he cared. He was doing that because he found it amusing and he liked messing with her. He didn't do it seriously. He just liked twisting her emotions around.

After a couple of minutes of walking, Aya spotted her house from a distance. She happily smiled at the thought of seeing her dog Dylan, but then her smile quickly turned upside down. She stared forward, a river of fear developing inside her. For some reason, the door of her house was open.

Someone was inside her home.

* * *

><p><em>TBC..<em>


	10. Emerging Light

**Gals!**

_Chapter 10! I can't believe it's been 10 chapters already. _

_Well, I'm going to have a lot of time to update. _

_Since it's going to be exam week, there will be no homework for me._

_So catch Chapter 11 soon! _

_Please enjoy and thanks for reading! _

* * *

><p><strong>Opposite Attractions<strong>

**Chapter 10 - Emerging Light**

Panting, Aya started running toward her house. Someone was in her house and they had left the door wide open. Taking a deep breaths, Aya wheezed as she finally reached the front door. As she stood in front of the open door, Aya hesitated to go inside. For all she knew it could be anyone. What if someone had broken inside her home and were stealing stuff? Aya gulped and hoped that wasn't the case.

Aya walked inside slowly, looking in all directions after she had closed the door. Her senses were alert and reacted to a noise she heard that was coming from upstairs. Aya walked toward the stairs and looked up to see her mother coming down with fresh clean clothes.

"Mother?" Aya watched her mother come down the stairs and head toward the kitchen. She picked up the pile of mail that Aya had stacked for her. She scanned through them, but since nothing seemed to interest her, she placed them back. "Mother? What are you doing here?"

"Hello, Aya dear." Her mother smiled at her while she opened the refrigerator. "I came to get some clean clothes since I'll be going back to work in a few minutes."

Her mother pulled out a jar of juice and poured herself some on a cup. Aya looked at her as she placed her school bag down on the floor. "I saw the door open when I was coming here from school. I found it pretty strange and wondered who had come in. You never crossed my mind."

"Oh, you silly girl!" Her mother exclaimed as she placed the jar on the counter and the cup to her lips. After taking a sip of Aya's homemade orange juice, her mother looked at her. "Have you gotten any calls from your father? He contacted me the other day, but I was in a meeting and couldn't answer."

Aya shook her head and looked away from her mother. It had been awhile since she had last contacted her father. In fact, she didn't even remember her father calling her at all. It was no surprise, though. "I think he called once, but I was at school." Aya lied sadly. "By the way mother, I was thinking when you're planning to take a day off at work. We haven't spent much time together."

"Oh, Aya. What are you saying? I thought we went over this already." Aya's mother walked away over to the living room. She began to stuff some papers in her brief case with anticipation. Aya followed her and looked at her. Her mother seemed to be in a hurry as she snapped her brief case shut. "Ah, there we go. I thought it wouldn't close. Anyways, Aya, I'm very busy. I don't have that kind of time."

"That's what you've been saying for over five years. You never pay attention to me anymore. Ever since my brother.." Aya voice trailed off sadly as she looked down at the ground. Her mother brushed her off, standing up straight. "Aya, stop saying nonsense. I have to work. I don't have time to fulfill your selfish request. Why don't you spend some time at Miyu's house. Or Ran's even though that girl is nothing but bad influence."

Aya crossed her hands as she furrowed her eyebrows. "Mother, she isn't a bad influence. She's my good friend. But that isn't what I want. There so much that has happened lately and I wanted to talk to you about it."

"Oh, okay. Tell me. I'm listening." Her mother said, pulling out her brush from her purse. She walked over to a small mirror that was hung right above the sofa. She started brushing her long black hair rapidly, looking at Aya's reflection every now and then. "What is it that you want to tell me, dear? Go ahead. I'm listening."

Aya rolled her eyes. Her mother told her that she was listening, but it was obvious that she wasn't at all. She was to busy looking at herself in the mirror and admiring herself to pay any attention to her. Either way, she was happy that her mother was taking the time to at least talk to her. For her, that was a big jump. Aya clasped her hands together as she got ready to tell her mother about Rei. She wanted to her that he was a wonderful guy that she had met in school. She wanted to tell her that she was his friend and that she was starting to develop feelings for him. Aya's heart skipped a beat while she thought about Rei. It was probably nothing more than a mere crush. Maybe it was was only attachment or attraction.

"The other day I met a-" Before Aya couldn't finish her sentence, her mother's cellphone started ringing. Aya's mother dropped the brush and pulled out her phone from her purse. Aya sighed and sat back on the sofa. It would be a while until her mother finished with her phone call.

"Hold that thought, sweetie." She told her before answering the phone. "Hello, Mrs. Hoshino speaking." There was a small pause, but then her mother squealed. "Oh my. Is everything okay? I'll be over there in a second."

Her mother ran over to the sofa and grabbed her brief case. She gave herself one last look in the mirror before she started running toward the door. Aya, looking a bit confused, stood up and followed her mother, the best lawyer she knew. "Mother? What happened? Where are you going? Is something wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing for you to worry about. I have to get going. It seems like my client got himself into some problems. I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow. Be good. If you need anything, remember to give me a buzz." Her mother waved good-bye and opened the door. Without giving her a second glance, Aya's mother stepped outside and slammed the door shut, leaving behind a torn and disappointed Aya.

A tear escaped her eyes as she walked back to the living room. She walked toward the book shelf and picked up the picture where she and her family were posed, well like a family. Grabbing it, Aya hugged it tightly. She wished that things could back to the way they were. After the incident with her brother, everything fell apart for not only for her, but for her parents too. Not only did her parents avoid coming home, they also avoided her. Aya sighed as she placed the picture back on the shelf. There was nothing that she could do about. She would just have to hope that things would back to normal.

Walking over to the sofa, Aya dropped herself on the cushion and leaned her head back. She tried to relax and calm herself down. Then her mind switched over to Rei. She wondered if he had eaten the lunch that she had made him. It wasn't anything fancy; some sushi, rice balls, rolled omelets and other stuff. Aya smiled to herself as she closed her eyes. The kiss that he had implanted on her forehead kept crossing through her mind. Even though it was given to her as a friend and not a lover, Aya still felt happy about it. Then she wondered what his lips would taste like.

Aya shook her head furiously while a blush formed on her face. What in the world was she thinking? Kissing Rei in the lips? There was no way that Rei would ever allow something like that to happen. After what that Katase guy said, Aya knew that Rei had other girlfriend before. On the other hand, Aya had no experience with guys. She just didn't attract them. For example when she's hanging out with her friends, the cute guys would always have their eyes glued to Ran and Miyu while she's left in the abyss.

She didn't care though. She had other better things to do than to waste her time with boys. As long as she had her friends, everything would be fine. The only thing that she wanted now was Rei's friendship. She already kind of had it, but she felt like it wasn't enough. Aya pulled out her cellphone from a small pocket in her sweater. She had never bothered to ask Rei if he had a cellphone. Maybe when she sees him next time, she would ask him. Even if he did have phone, would he give her his number? Aya blushed and decided not to ask him anything.

Sighing, Aya looked around her quiet empty house. For some reason, something just didn't seem right. There was something missing, but Aya couldn't exactly put her finger on it. Aya sat up straight as she look around. Her heart started pounding loudly while the stillness of her house evoked her. There was definitely something wrong and whatever it was, it was making Aya nervous. Then, it clicked to her.

"Dylan? Where are you, boy?" Aya jumped from the sofa and slid of the the kitchen. She grabbed Dylan's dog food and poured it on his bowl. Then she poured some water on his water dish. "It's time to eat, Dylan. Then we can go for a walk."

To her surprise, she only received silence. There was no bark, no whimper, no howl, no nothing. Aya scratched her head, walking out her kitchen. She went to the dinning area, and looked under the tables and chairs, but he was not there. From there, she went back to the living room, but there was still no sign of him. Aya's fingers began to tremble as she called for her dog again. "Dylan? Dylan? Where are you?"

She ran toward the stairs. "Dylan?" Once again, there was nothing but silence. She the climbed the stairs rapidly, hoping that her silly dog was just upstairs hiding under her bed or something. When she reached the last step, Aya called her dog again. "Dylan?"

Rushing to her room, Aya began to look for her dog in her everywhere. She looked under the bed, in the closet, under her desk, behind the curtain, but he wasn't anywhere. Aya went to her parents room and began to look for him there. To her disappointment, he wasn't there either. Next, she looked in the bathroom. She was about to check her brother's room, but she immediately stopped and ran downstairs. There was no point looking in her brother's room since it had been closed for years.

"Dylan? Dylan?" She continued to holler. She stopped when she stood in front of the door. Then, she remembered that before she arrived, the door of her house had been opened. Her mother had carelessly forgot to close the door. Maybe, Dylan saw the door open and walked outside. He was probably lost in the streets somewhere. He had never been alone before. Aya ran towards the door and went outside.

She ran past the front yard and stopped to look around. She wasn't even sure if he was outside or not. He had to be, though. He wasn't inside the house, so he had to be outside somewhere, lost and lonely. Aya lifted her head to look at the sky. It was getting darker than usual because big gray clouds were circling the sky and covering the sun. Just as quickly as she had noticed, the first couple of raindrops started to come down. Cold droplets hit her face and before she knew it, there was rain falling down everywhere.

Aya wiped her face with her wet sleeves as she looked down the streets. She had look for Dylan. He couldn't have gone far. He was probably somewhere in the park hiding under a bench. Aya started running toward the park. She was determined to look for Dylan. The rain wasn't going to stop her. She had made up her mind to at least look for him for an hour or so. If she couldn't find him, then she would have to search for him again after the rain had stopped.

Somehow, she ended up looking for him all night until she found him under a tree, scared and frighten by the lighting, thunder, and rain; the rain that never left her side.

…

Rei growled silently as he sat in his desk uncomfortably. He was really annoyed and he wasn't planning on hiding it either. Everyone was staring at him with afraid looks on their faces, but he didn't give a damn. His hands turned to fist as he tried to block out everyone from the classroom. They pissed him off, but he tried his best to calm his nerves. Today, though, he was having trouble keeping his focus. He felt like running out the classroom. The reason for that was because Aya wasn't there in the classroom next to him..

She had insisted that he should go to school and then, she ends up not coming herself. It was weird. She didn't seem like the type of girl that would slack off. She was always so worried about school that it seemed unlikely for her to miss a day. Maybe she was just late. Then again, why did he care. It was none of his business. Even so, his gut couldn't help, but worry about that stupid girl.

Pretty soon, the teacher walked in as soon as the bell rung. There was still no sign of her. The teacher started calling attendance, and when he called her name, there was nothing, but silence. As the teacher shifted his eyes over her desk, he found that it was empty. "Aya Hoshino?" He repeated, but then he marked absent.

Rolling his eyes, Rei crossed his arms as he looked at her desk. If she were here right now, then she would probably have her nose buried in a book. Then every once and a while, she would turn around and give him a quick glance. Rei leaned his head on his hand and let out an annoyed sigh. Where the hell was she? For some reason, the classroom without her didn't seem the same. He had never noticed that she had become part of his daily life.

...

When it was time for lunch, Rei watched as most the students walk out. Of course, there were a couple of people that stayed in the classroom. One of those people was Aya's friend, Yuuya Asou. Personally, he didn't like that guy at all. He felt like slamming a desk across his face, but of course, he wouldn't. If he did, Aya would never forgive him. She would probably start yelling at him and start giving him a long speech about how violence was unnecessary. She was always barking at him for things like that. He really enjoyed seeing her flustered face, though. Rei quickly shook his thoughts away. Why was he thinking about her? She was nothing to him.

Suddenly, Rei stood up, slamming his fist on the table. This was starting to get out of hand. All morning, he did nothing, but think about her. He kept asking himself if she was okay or why she hadn't come to school. He had know where she was or else he won't be able to stop thinking about her. He stood up straight and started walking toward that guy, Yuuya Asou.

"Yo," Rei stood in front of his desk and after a couple of seconds, Yuuya looked up at him. He cocked his head to the side a little as he looked at Rei with disbelief. Yuuya gulped as he stopped putting away his books in his bag. Rei liked the look of fear in his eyes.

"Hey, Otohata." Rei watched as Yuuya nervously scratched the back of his head. Crossing his hands, Rei let out an annoyed sigh. "Do you need something?" Yuuya asked him, adding a nervous laugh at the end.

Rei gritted his teeth as his hands turned to fists. He really couldn't stand this guy. Ever since he saw him with Aya, Rei had felt like punching him. He had gotten so close to her. He had tried to kiss her twice. Rei would never forgive him for that. "Listen," Rei started. "Do you know where she might be?"

"She?" Yuuya repeated, but Rei didn't bother to explain himself. He really didn't like to say her name. In fact, he didn't even like to call her by her name in his thoughts. It was a silly idea he had made up for himself.

Rei watched as Yuuya looked around with a finger in his chin. He was trying to figure out who he was talking about. Then, his face lit up as his eyes came across Aya's desk. "Oh, Aya-chan? No, I don't know where she is. It's kind of strange, though. She has never missed a day of school. I hope she's okay."

Twitching his eyebrow a bit, Rei gave him a death glare that made Yuuya lean back a bit. "That's all I needed to know." Rei placed his hands in his pockets and was about to walk out the door when Yuuya called out to him. Rei turned to look at him. "What the hell do you want?"

"Why are you worried about her?" Yuuya asked him in quite a serious tone. Rei, of course, wasn't affected at all. Wimpy guys like him really didn't scare him. Twisted guys like Kazuki Katase disgusted him. "Do you like her?"

"If I do or not, it's none of your business." Rei told him coldly before heading out the door.

…

What the hell was he suppose to do? Should he go look for her? Rei sighed as he stared out the window. The classroom was empty since everyone had already left home. He couldn't go home until he knew why she hadn't come to school. She was always worrying about him. Now, it was his turn to worry about her. It was something so unlike him, but he couldn't help it.

In such a short time, Rei had gotten used to her. Her insistence on them to be friends had finally gotten to him. He hated to admit it, but it was strange not to have her around. If she were here, then he would probably be walking home with her. Rei slammed the desk annoyingly as he looked away from the window. He didn't understand why he was tormenting himself with such thoughts. It wasn't like him at all. Those strange unknown feelings that were inside him were starting to not only disturb him, but they were also driving him insane.

He regretted not walking her home yesterday. Rei hadn't walked her was because of his own selfish reasons; he wanted to get home and eat the lunch that she had prepared for him. It had been so delicious that Rei still imagined the flavor running through his tongue. He sighed, looking inside his school bag. He had brought her lunch box to school so he could give it to her. He even took the time to wash it despite the fact he hated washing dishes. Rei placed his hand on his forehead and pushed his brown hair back. Why did he trouble himself so much for that girl?

Rei was about to start walking toward the door when suddenly some girl came in. He recognized her right away. She was another one of Aya's friend, the blond girl known as Miyu. She looked him surprised, but then sweetly smiled at him. Miyu walked toward her desk and pulled out a book. "Hello, Otohata. What are you doing here?"

Of course, Rei didn't answer and only looked away. He decided to stare at the window again as he stood beside his desk. Even if Miyu was her friend, he didn't feel like talking to her. In reality, she kind of annoyed him. She took a few steps forward, but then stopped. "I wonder why Aya didn't come to school today. Ran called her, but she didn't answer. We wanted to visit her, but we're not really sure where she lives."

Rei didn't even bother to turn around. He didn't know why she was telling him all that. He wasn't asking her, but then again, deep down inside, he kind of felt grateful. He hated feeling that way. It was starting to make him look soft. People weren't scared of him as they used to be. He remembered that the first day that he had arrived at Hounan, people were scared to even look at him. Now, things were different. The girl in front of him wasn't scared of him at all. He wondered why.

"You know," Miyu began to Rei's annoyance. He wished she could just shut up. "Aya seems happy around you. It seems like she cares for you."

"Oh, yeah? What makes you say that?" Rei's senses perked up when he heard Miyu's sentence. He knew that Aya cared about him, but he had never heard it being said by someone else. A new emotion began to develop inside him. Happiness? Relief? Excitement? Rei didn't know what it was.

Miyu didn't say anything after that, but she did manage to smile at him. "Aw, forget I said anything." Miyu waved at him and exited the classroom.

Rei looked down at the floor, not sure of what to do. Aya really cared about him and yet, he's always treating her so badly. She had healed his wounds, helped him study, made him food, and stood by his side. Guilt and regret started to fill inside him. The least he could do was to look for her. She was probably in her home, but if she wasn't, he wouldn't stop until he found her.

…

Walking down the sidewalk, Rei hoped to catch a glance of Aya somewhere. She was no where in sight. It pained him. He hadn't seen her all day. Her smile hadn't warmed his icy heart all day. Rei grumbled at his own stupid thoughts. He never knew he could be so chummy.

Annoyed, Rei walked down the path of the park that usually led to Aya's house. The reason he liked to walked through there was because he had a few memories here with her. Rei shook his head as he looked down at the ground, the pavement still wet from yesterday's cold shower. He was so busy examining the sidewalk that he accidentally bumped into someone. He looked up and found that he knocked down an old lady.

Then he did something strange. He apologized to the old women and helped her up. Usually, he would of just left her there to fend for herself. Rei watched as the old lady in the kimono thanked him and walked away happily. Rei sighed as he spotted Aya's house in the distance. That would have been something that Aya would have done. She wouldn't have hesitated twice to help that old lady. Rei started walking again when he found himself standing in front of Katase.

"Isn't this a coincidence? We meet in the same place and almost at the same time." Katase smirked evilly as he looked around. "I see that you're alone this time. How about we pick up where we left off?" Suddenly, his little posy showed up and they were looking at him mischievously. Katase lifted his fists in the air, getting ready to fight.

"Fuck off. I have better things to do than to waste my time with a lowly bastard like you." Rei exclaimed as he started walking away, but Katase blocked his path. "Fuck off. I'm not in the damn mood."

"What's this?" Katase asked him, lifting an eyebrow in the air. "Are you refusing to fight? Are you backing away?"

Rei glanced at Aya's house. He couldn't waste anytime with fools like Kazuki Katase. She had gone through all the trouble to go to his house and check on him. Now, it was his turn to set aside his pride and go see her. That's all he wanted to do at the moment. If he stopped to fight Kazuki and his gang then he'd probably get beat up, making him forget all about Aya. That was something he wanted to avoid.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm backing down." Rei exclaimed, causing Katase to step away from him. "There is someone much more important than you that I want to see and your stupid ass isn't going to stop me. So fuck off and leave me alone."

Furiously, Rei started to walk away at full speed toward her house. He couldn't believe what he had just said. Now, he would never hear the end of it. They will probably start making fun of him and start saying that he had finally admitted the defeat, but that wasn't important at the moment. The only thing that he wanted in that very moment was to hear was her voice. He wanted to see why she hadn't gone to school. What if she was sick? What if something had happened to her? What if she was moving away? The only way to find out was to ask her.

Rei stood in front of her house and for some strange reason, he was feeling anxious and nervous. There was another feeling inside him, though. Something that he had never felt before. He shrugged it off as he knocked on Aya's door.

Deep down inside, he couldn't wait to see her smile.

* * *

><p>TBC...<p> 


	11. Connecting Bonds

**Gals!**

_Here is chapter 11! I'm updating as often as I can, getting any opportunity. _

_I'd like to thank my beautiful reviewers and to everyone that's taking the time to read my stories!_

_Anyways, I don't know if I can update this tomorrow. We'll see what happens._

_Well, I hope this meets your expectations! Please read and enjoy!_

* * *

><p><strong>Opposite Attractions<strong>

**Chapter 11 - Connecting Bonds**

Rei knocked on her door two more times while he impatiently tapped his foot on the ground. He tossed his bag over his shoulder, leaning his head closer to the door. He could hear her dog barking on the inside and pretty soon he heard footsteps coming toward the door. He quickly stood up straight as he heard someone open the door. Then, he found himself staring at two brown eyes.

Blushing, Aya pulled the door all the way back, finding it hard to believe that he was here, but then she smiled sheepishly. "Otohata-kun? What are you doing here?"

Instead of answering her question, Rei let himself in. Her dog ran toward him and greeted him with a loud bark, wagging his tail from side to side. Rei sighed and turned to look at Aya who quietly closed the door. He placed his school bag beside the doorway as he stared at her carefully. There was something wrong with her. She was still in her pajamas and she had a bright yellow blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Her face was really pale and her hair was a mess.

They walked toward the living room in silence and Rei sat down in her comfy sofa. Aya stood up next to him, but she tried to keep her gaze away from him. "How was school today, Otohata-kun? Did I miss anything important?"

"No. We did the same thing we do every other day; boring work." Rei stated crossing his hands. Aya smiled, but then she started coughing nonstop. She placed her hand on her throat and closed her eyes slowly, wincing. She weakly looked at Rei and smiled at him. Rei, of course, wasn't deceived by her sweet smile. "Hey, why didn't you go to school?"

Aya laughed nervously, but then stopped when she started coughing again. She looked at Rei with her face more flustered than ever. "I guess I just woke up late." Then there was a faint bubbly noise coming from the kitchen. "Ah, I left something in the kitchen. I'll be back in sec."

She was about to dash to the kitchen when Rei grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him, knocking the blanket from her shoulders. She ended up sitting in his lap with one hand around his neck. She immediately blushed as she tried to push herself up, but she didn't have the strength. Then, Rei placed his hand around her waist and began to pull her closer to him. Aya could feel her heart getting ready to burst. To make things worse, she could feel everything spinning. She felt dizzier than ever. Rei's sweet aroma was hypnotizing her, making her stop squirming and allowing Rei to hold her. Unlike most times that he grabbed her, this time Rei was carrying her gently almost as if she were made of glass and could break easily. "Rei?"

"I'm not going to let you go until you tell me what's wrong. Are you sick?" He told her, squeezing her tighter and tighter. Aya turned to speak to him, but found herself almost crashing into Rei's face. Now, her face was only a few inches away from his. She gulped as she leaned back away from him.

"Well, I think I caught a cold, yesterday." She managed to say with scratchy voice. She began to have trouble breathing and then she let out a small, but cute sneeze. "That's why I didn't go to school. I hate missing school, but like I told you before. I woke up really late. There was no point in going."

Aya was about to get up, but Rei didn't let her. The more she tried to free herself, the tighter he would hold her. "Rei, please let me get up. I'm making some chicken soup in the kitchen. I need to turn the stove off before it overcooks."

"Are you stupid?" Rei placed her in the sofa while he stood up. "You're never going to get any better if you don't rest. Why are you even alone? Shouldn't your mother be here to take of you?"

"My mother is busy. She's at work. She's probably going to be here late at night. There's no point calling her because she still won't be able to come and take care of me. My dad is away on business so it's obvious he can't come."

Aya coughed, placing her hand in her chest and forcing herself to stop. She got up from the sofa way to quickly and began to feel the ground spin. She was about to fall to the side when Rei grabbed her gently. She blushed a bright shade of red as she felt Rei's strong arms wrap around her weak body. She gripped tightly on to his shirt and tried to hold herself up. Rei calmly sat her down in the sofa again. He looked at her and believed that she saw him worry in his eyes. He leaned down and placed the palm of his hand on her forehead. Aya, of course, never stopped blushing. "Yup, you have a fever." He told her seriously. "How the hell did you get sick?"

Looking a bit embarrassed, Aya turned to look at her dog who had curled himself in his blue mat. "Well," Aya began after coughing a bit more. "Yesterday, somehow, my dog got lost. I think he walked out the door when my mother had left it opened. I got so worried that I started looking for him even though it started raining. I got home like around 10 at night. I just took of my wet clothes off and went to sleep."

"You're such an idiot." Rei told her as he placed his hands in his pockets. "Getting yourself sick over a dog? How pathetic." Aya gritted her teeth, but remained silent. Rei had point. That had been very foolish of her. "Anyways," Rei began again. "You can't be walking around or else your condition could get worse."

Rei walked away, heading toward the kitchen. Aya, surprised, followed him and stood at the kitchen's entrance. She stared at him with awe as she watched him turn off the stove. Then he took the pot's lid off and sniffed the soup that she had prepared. He placed the lid down and grabbed a near by bowl. He began to pour soup on the bowl. "I hope you like it." Aya told him with a small smile at the thought that Rei was going to eat a soup.

"Aw, man." Rei pulled open a drawer. He found a few chopsticks, but decided pulled out a spoon. He placed the spoon inside the bowl that had the warm soup. "It's not for me, idiot. It's for you." He showed the spoon inside the bowl. "It'd be hard for you to eat with chopsticks, seeing how your feeling."

"What?" Aya exclaimed, placing a hand just above her lips. "I don't think I can stomach that. I still have the oatmeal taste in my mouth. It keeps threatening to come out." Aya placed a hand over her stomach. She had made the soup, but she never planned to eat it. "You eat it." Aya told him before looking at him.

Aya could see Rei was hiding his annoyance. "Listen, if you want to get better then you will eat it." She was about to protest when Rei grabbed her hand and pulled her over to table. He sat her down on a chair and placed the bowl on the table in front of her. "There. Now eat it."

"I don't want any." Aya told him as she pinned her nose with her fingers. She couldn't stand the smell. Why had she made it in the fist place? She had made it for Rei, not for herself. She had planned to take it to him so he could eat some for dinner, but her fever had gotten worse and couldn't find the chance to take it to his house. "I'll eat some later."

Rei groaned with frustration as he pulled a chair. He sat down next to her and pulled the bowl toward them. He picked up the spoon and topped it with soup. "If your not going to eat it, then I'll shove it down your damn throat and I won't care if you choke." Rei moved the spoon toward Aya's mouth, but stopped when Aya cover her mouth with her hand, shaking her hand to the side.

"I can't eat it, yet." She pointed at the steam that was rising up. "It's too hot. I'll burn my tongue." Aya started coughing while her head started to hurt. She felt like someone was pounding her head with a hammer. She was forcing herself too much. "I'll eat it when it cools down. I don't feel so good right now."

Calming down a bit, Rei begin to blow on the soup that was on the spoon to Aya's surprise. Her face blushed as he turned to look at her. "I know that you don't feel good. That's why I want you to feel better. At least eat a small portion of it. You can't have an empty stomach. It's not healthy for you." Rei told her, but he was looking down, his brown hair covering his eyes. After blowing on the soup a few more times, he moved the spoon toward Aya's lips. This time Aya obediently opened her mouth.

"Rei?" Aya called him after she had swallowed. She grabbed on tightly to the chair so that she wouldn't fall over. She felt so dizzy and her head felt ready to explode, but she remained strong. She didn't want Rei to worry about her. He was already doing so much for her. His company had kind of brought her back to life. "Why are you doing this?"

He placed the spoon back inside the spoon, looking alarmed and surprised, almost like he had been trying to avoid that question. "I don't know." He replied silently, he shifted his eyes away from her. "Things just weren't the same at school without you around."

Aya blushed as she felt happiness in her heart. Rei shook his head as he let out a sigh. Once again, he moved the spoon toward her mouth. Aya smiled before opening her mouth. It was such a weird thing to see Rei feeding her. She should enjoy it while it lasts since this would probably be the last time that he would ever humiliate himself to feed her. Once she had swallowed, Aya looked at Rei and placed her hand on top of his. "Thank you, Rei. Thank you for everything you're doing for me."

Rei furiously looked away and stared at the wall. "Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not doing this because I care about you. I owed you one." He glanced at her and found that she wasn't affected by his words at all. Aya smiled at him while she felt something warm inside her. She shook off the feeling though, figuring that it was probably the hot soup in her stomach. Then her smile turned into a frown.

"Did you ever do this to your other girlfriends?" Aya asked him, looking down at her lap. She wasn't the first girl in his life. That Katase guy had said that she was Rei's 'new little girlfriend'. Aya sighed sadly while she tried to get those words out of her head. That had been stressing her out all day.

"Other girlfriends? What the hell are you talking about?" Rei asked her as he put another spoon full of soup in her mouth. Aya pouted while chewed on a few vegetables. He had done that on the purpose so she wouldn't talk about it anymore. In her mind, Aya decided to push the topic away. She didn't want to know about Rei's previous girlfriends. She shook her head and after swallowing, she said, "Never mind. I don't know what I'm saying."

Aya coughed as she started leaning toward the table. When she was about lay down the table, Rei stopped her and placed his hand on her forehead. "Damn." He said under his breath after feeling her forehead hot. "You're aren't feeling any better are you?"

"It's okay, Rei. I already took some medicine. It just hasn't taken affect, yet." Aya forced a smile on her face. "Don't worry about me, Otohata-kun. You've done enough. Thank you for feeding me even if it was only a little bit." Rei didn't say anything, but continued to look at her.

Aya was about to stand up when she saw Rei get close to her. With an embarrassed face, he picked her up from the chair and carried her bridal style. Aya blushed while her eyes widen. He pulled her closer to him and before she knew it, Aya's dizzy head was leaning on his chest. His warmth began to wrap around her body, making her hotter. Aya placed her hand on his uniform shirt and gripped on it tightly. She felt everything spinning. She started coughing, her head was aching. Then Rei started walking away toward the stairs. Aya weakly looked up at him. "Rei, what are you doing?"

"I'm taking you to bed." He told her seriously. He held her tight as he began to climb the stairs. Aya closed her eyes as she started to steady her breathing. She gripped on his shirt tightly, afraid that she was going to fall. Rei, of course, noticed that. "It's okay, Aya. I'm not going to drop you."

A tear escaped form her eyes, but she quickly wiped it away. If Rei saw her crying, then he would probably start barking at her and calling her stupid. Either way, Aya wasn't crying because she felt sad or because she was in pain. Her tears were tears of happiness. For the first time, Rei had called her by her name. That was enough to send her heart zooming.

When Rei reached the top, he looked around. Aya coughed some more as her throat started to feel itchy. "Hey, which one is your room?" Aya leaned her head forward and pointed to the left. "That one. The door with the gold looking door knob." Rei looked at it and found that it was slightly opened. Aya felt him walk toward it. He pushed it open with his foot.

Rei looked inside her room. Everything was very girly and pretty except for her bed. The bed sheets were sloppy and undone. Her desk had a few books on top it with a small lamp over it, her cellphone also laying quietly. Her curtains were a light shade of pink and they were hanging over the window. Rei was about to take a step forward when he felt something crawl under his legs. Startled, Rei was about to jump back when he noticed that it was only her dog.

He fought back the urge to kick him away. It was all his fault that Aya was feeling sick. The dog barked at him while he stuck his tongue out, panting. Rei wanted to grab the damn mutt and throw him out the window, but he wouldn't. If Aya ever caught him being mean to her dog, she would probably choke him. He didn't understand why Aya cared about that dog so much. Rei walked passed the dog and headed toward Aya's bed. He wondered if Aya would choose the dog over him. Gritting his teeth, Rei shook his thoughts away. That was really all he needed. He couldn't believe he was getting jealous over a stupid dog.

"Otohata-kun." Aya said while Rei placed her on top of her bed. He gently lifted her head and placed it on the pillow. Then he pulled the blanket that was under her and covered her up with it. He grabbed another blanket that was under her feet and placed it on top of her as well. Aya pulled the blankets up all the way to her neck and looked up at Rei. "Thank you." She whispered.

Rei looked at her. Then he shoved some of her hair off her face. "You don't have to thank me. I'm doing this because I want to."

Smiling, Aya looked away and shifted her head to the side. "Otohata-kun." She repeated, before coughing a bit. Rei rolled his eyes as he looked at her. Even though she was sick, she still couldn't shut up. "Otohata-kun? Rei? How do you want me to call you? Otohata-kun or Rei?"

He sighed with annoyance and hit her playfully in the head. "I don't care. Stop stressing yourself over stupid matters like that." When his hand touched her forehead, he surprised to feel it really hot. To add to his nerves, Rei didn't know what to do to make it go away. "Just rest. I'll see what I can do about your fever."

Rei looked around her room to see if he could come up with any ideas. Then he spotted a deep looking bowl on top of her dresser with shampoo materials inside it. He walked toward it and emptied it. He remembered that when he was sick, his mother would put a wet rag over his forehead to cool down the fever while the medicine took affect. Rei gripped tightly on the bowl and started looking for a rag. He looked at the dresser in front of him and opened a random drawer. His face slightly blushed when he spotted Aya's bras and panties inside it. He quickly closed it and turned to peek at her. To his luck, she hadn't noticed him looking at her interior garments.

He sighed and was about to give up on his idea when he found a small towel hanging at the side of her bed. He quickly grabbed it and went over to the bathroom. He came back with the bowl full of slightly warm water. He grabbed the chair from Aya's desk and placed it front of her. He sat down, his body right in front of her face. She lazily turned to look at him. Despite her pale face, there was a tiny blush across her cheeks. She started to force herself to sit up, but Rei stopped her, placing her his hand on her shoulder. Aya dropped herself back on the bed.

"What are you still doing here, Rei?" Aya asked as she looked at him with her lifeless eyes. "I thought you had left already."

"Well, as you can see, I'm still here, but if you want me too leave then tell me." Rei dipped the towel in the water and then squeeze it tightly so that the water wouldn't drip on to her bed. He folded it, placing it on top of her forehead. "I'm sorry," He started quietly. Aya faced him with surprised. "I don't know what to do to get rid of your fever. This was the only thing I could think of."

She smiled at him and placed her hand on top of his. "It's okay, Rei. I'm very grateful for everything your doing. It makes me feel happy despite that I'm sick."

"I think we should call your friends. I'm sure they'll know what to do." Rei pushed down the towel on Aya's forehead while she placed hers on top. "I'm not very good at this sort of thing. Maybe I should leave."

Rei was about to get up when Aya grabbed him by his sleeve. "Don't." She wheezed through a cough. "Please don't leave, Rei. I don't want to be alone. I'm sure my mother isn't going to be home until very late. I don't want to be alone." A tear escaped from her eyes, but Rei gently wiped it away with his finger. He sighed as he shifted in the chair.

"Okay, I won't leave, but you have to promise me that you won't cry." Rei told her and Aya nodded slowly. "I have nothing important to do anyway. Might as well do something useful and take care of you."

Suddenly, Aya started shivering as she closed her eyes. "It's so cold." She stated as she buried herself under the blankets.

"You should have known better." Rei told her, leaning closer to her. "What did you expect? What in the world were thinking? Running around in the rain. I found it strange that you hadn't gone to school. You aren't the type of girl that slacks off. I never would of figured that you were in your house terribly sick." Rei began to touch her hair that fell off the side of the bed. "Why didn't you call your friends to tell them you were sick?"

"I didn't want to worry them." Aya told him, looking away.

"Yeah, but you ended up worrying me." He blurted out coldly. Aya's eyes widen as a small blush appeared on Rei's face. She covered her mouth to prevent herself from laughing. She would have never thought that he was actually worried about her. It kind of made her feel relieved. She was glad to know that someone at least cared about her. "Rei," Aya began with a blush on her face. "You were worried about me?"

"Of course I was worried, idiot. I thought that something had happened to you or something. Next time, tell me when you're not going to school so I won't go either." Rei had hesitated to speak, but then he gave in to Aya's silly question. There was no point in putting a cold exterior in front of her and even he if he wanted to, he couldn't. "It was so wierd not having you there. School without you isn't the same."

"Oh, Rei. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to worry you." Aya exclaimed loudly despite her major headache. "I wanted to call you, but I don't have your number. In fact, I don't even know if you have a phone."

Rei stood up and grabbed a piece of paper from her desk. He picked up a pen after looking around. He started to write down his phone number. After he was done, Rei sat back on on the chair. He placed the paper on top of Aya's night table. "I do have a phone. My number is on that paper." Aya looked at it, smiling. "Don't go off and do stupid things on your own. If your stupid mutt gets lost next time, just call me and I'll help you look for him."

Even though he had just called her dog a 'stupid mutt', Aya couldn't be angry at him. He was being so nice and sweet that she wondered if she was dreaming. "Okay. Thanks."

Aya wanted to go to sleep, but she couldn't with Rei staring at her. It was making her nervous. Then, by looking at Rei's face, she could tell that there was something that was bothering him. He seemed unease as he moved around in the chair. "Rei, what's wrong?" Aya asked him before she sneezed.

She needed to wipe her nose with something. She tried to reach for the Kleenex box that was on top of her night table, but she couldn't reach them. Aya was about to get up to get one, but Rei pulled out a tissue for her. He handed it to her and when she grabbed it, her cold fingers brushed against Rei's warm hand. She blushed as she sniffed in the tissue. Then, once again, sadness reflected across Rei's face. "Rei, what's wrong? Is something bothering you?"

"What is he to you?" He answered her question with a question. Aya looked at him confused while her head started throbbing. "Who are you talking about, Rei?" Aya asked him after a couple of seconds of thinking about it.

"Yuuya Asou." Rei stated simply, causing her to blush a little. "I talked to him today. It seems like he really cares about you."

"There is nothing going on between me and Yuuya." Aya stated quietly. If she weren't sick, she probably would have yelled it at him, but right now she didn't have the strength. She could feel her fever going down though. "He's my friend and that's all he'll ever be. Besides, he likes my friend Ran."

Rei crossed his hands in disbelief. "It doesn't seem like it."

Aya was about to protest when Rei placed his finger on top of her lips. A deep blush overtook Aya's pale face as she felt Rei's finger touch her. He looked at her with kindness, moving his finger across her lips. Then he smirked mischievously like he always did. Aya's heart skipped a beat. "I'm not going to let him touch your lips."

"Rei! What are you saying?" Aya turned around to avoid Rei's touch. Her head began to throb again as she buried her head under her blankets. "Why do you always say things like that? Why do always tease me?"

Grabbing the blankets, Rei took them off Aya to find her face flustered. He sighed as he shook his head. "I'm not teasing you. I'm being serious." He told her. "I'm not letting that guy touch you. I'm not letting any guy touch you."

Aya's eyes widen as she gave Rei a peek. What in the world was he saying? Did he really mean it? Aya was about to say something when she started coughing. Rei patted her head until she stopped. "Don't waste your breath." Rei said as he rubbed her head with his hand. "Go to sleep. You need your rest."

"I can't sleep." Aya stated. She couldn't fall asleep with Rei staring at her. Yet, his presence made her feel safe. She felt that as long as he was by her side then she would be protected. Aya sighed as she began to close her eyes. She shifted herself in the bed so that she was laying on her side. "Rei, don't go."

"I told you already. I'm not going anywhere." He told her, getting up from the chair to sit down on the edge of her bed. He patted her leg so that she could go to sleep more easily. "Just go to sleep."

She nodded while she kept her eyes closed. When she started shivering, Rei pulled the blankets over her. He moved some of her hair of her face and he stared at her. Aya shifted again in the bed so that her face was facing the ceiling. With her eyes closed, she quietly mumbled, "Thank you, Rei."

Rei stayed there, by her side for the next couple of minutes. The minutes pretty soon turned to hours. He just kept staring at her and every now and then, he would put the wet towel over her forehead. In reality, he wasn't planning on leaving until her mother or someone arrived. He couldn't leave her here alone. She couldn't take care of herself in her condition. She needed to be under the protection of someone. There was a point were he wanted to call her friends and tell them tocome take care of her. Of course, he wouldn't because he wanted to be there for her.

He didn't know what was wrong with him, but having that girl so close to him evoked his senses. For some reason, he wanted to stay there with her. It was something so unlike him, but then again, she was something special. Since the first day he met her, he knew that she was someone special. The moment he saved her from those guys, a connection was bonded.

Shaking his head, Rei heard a small whimper coming from the door. There he spotted Aya's dog. He wasn't barking or wagging his tail. He was looking at him while he whimpered. Rei sighed annoyingly as he got up to feed her dumb dog since he was probably crying because he was hungry.

When he got back, he was surprised to see Aya shivering furiously. She was wrapped around two blankets and yet, she was cold. He walked over to her and touched her forehead. He cursed under his breath when he realized that Aya's fever had returned, stronger than before. He didn't know what to do.

Rei sat down on the bed next her. He grabbed her and placed her on top of his chest. Then, he pulled the blanket over on top of them. Rei leaned his head on top of hers as he cradled her in his arms. He hoped that his body's warmth would warm her up too. He pulled her closer as he leaned his back against the bed. Then, pretty soon he adjusted himself in her bed, placed his head on her pillow, and fell asleep with Aya in his arms.

They were both asleep, next to each other. Rei hugging her tightly towards his chest while she shortly afterward embraced him by the waist.

Both of them dreaming of each other.


	12. Crossroads

**Gals!**

_Hey readers! I updated two stories in one day! When I'm with You and this one!_

_Well, finals are finally here, but there is no reason to worry. I feel pretty confident!_

_I wasn't sure about updating this story today, but I'm so glad that I did. _

_Anyways, please read and enjoy!_

* * *

><p><strong>Opposite Attractions<strong>

**Chapter 12 - Crossroads**

Aya lazily opened her eyes to find her room pitch dark. She closed her eyes again and lifted her hand to rub them when her arm brushed against something. Aya's body stiffen as she snapped her eyes opened. She tried to move, but something was holding her tightly by the waist. Then, she realized that her head was leaning against something. She touched it with her hand. To her surprise, it was someone's chest. It was moving up and down with every breath they took. She lifted her head and saw that Rei was sleeping right next to her.

Blushing, Aya tried to get away but her efforts were useless. Rei's grip on her was too strong and prevented her from any movement. Aya leaned her head away from his as she began to feel drops of sweat forming on her forehead. She wasn't cold anymore. In fact, with the blankets and Rei's heat on her, Aya felt really warm and cozy. Either way, Aya felt so embarrassed having Rei in her bed like that. What if her mom came in and saw them like that? She would think the worst of her.

She touched her forehead and to her relief, she found her fever gone. The medicine had worked. It took a while, but it finally did it's magic. Rei also came over and helped her get better. It would have never crossed her mind that Rei would sleep over her house just to watch her. She wondered what had possessed him to get on top of her bed and hug her like that.

As embarrassed as she felt, Aya also felt happy about Rei choosing to stay by her side. She remembered when she told him to stay and that she didn't want to stay alone. He stayed and never left her alone. Aya shook her head, looking away from Rei's face. That still didn't give him permission to get on her bed and sleep next to her. No matter how she looked at it, Rei and her seemed like a couple, boyfriend and girlfriend. Aya could feel her face blushing at the thought. She sighed loudly causing Rei to wake up.

He opened his eyes and turned in her direction. By his reaction, Aya figured that he wasn't expecting her to be awake. They stared at each other in the dark for a couple of seconds. Then Rei pulled out his hand from under the blankets and placed it on her forehead. Even though it was dark, Aya could tell that he was smiling.

"You're fever is gone." He stated. Aya jerked back when she felt him him pull her closer. Aya's face was only inches away from his. She tried to pull back, but Rei wouldn't let her. He kept a firm grip around her waist as he tossed the blankets to the side. "Now, let's have sex."

"Rei!" Aya quickly pulled away, blushing madly and feeling her cheeks as hot as fire. "Don't say things like that! Especially when you're on top of my bed in the middle of the night. Do you have any idea what my mom would say if she found you here? Speaking of which, why are you on top of bed? Who gave you permission? What are you doing here?"

Rei sighed annoyingly as let go of Aya and sat up. "I can tell you're feeling better." He crossed his hands, but then he huffed a laugh. "I think I like you better when you're sick."

"And I think I like you better when you're nice." Aya sat up in her bed and pushed herself over to the edge of bed and away from Rei. She sat down next to her other night table and turned on a small lamp. She winced when she felt the light land on her eyes. After rubbing them a bit, Aya turned to glance at Rei. He was staring at her with his hands crossed and a smirk on his face.

Aya snapped from her embarrassment when she heard her cell phone ringing. She began to look for it in the bed sheets, but she couldn't find anything. Standing up, Aya looked around her room and tried to find where the sound was coming from. Then, she noticed the blinking of light coming from her desk. She quickly ran toward it, but to her surprise, Rei grabbed it before her.

"Rei! Give it back." Aya pleaded, trying to grab her phone from Rei's hand. Every time she was close to grabbing it, Rei would pull it to another direction. "C'mon, Rei. Please give it back. What if it's mom calling or my dad?"

"Don't worry. It's not your mother." He looked at the caller id and then frowned. As he furrowed his eyebrows, he looked at Aya seriously.

Aya scratched the back of her head and looked down at the floor. If it wasn't her mom, then who was calling her at this hour? Aya tried to grab her cell phone from Rei's hand, but he wouldn't let her. Then, it stopped ringing, making Aya stomp her foot. After a couple of seconds, Aya's cellphone started ringing again. Rei growled when he saw who was calling.

"Rei, who is it?" Aya asked him as she tilted her head to the side. "Is it the same person?" Walking toward him, Aya noticed Rei's annoyed face.

"Here. It's one of your friends." Rei stretched out his arm with Aya's phone in his hand. Aya smiled and just when she was about to grab her phone, Rei smirked at her and answered. "Yo."

Aya's jaw dropped after she saw Rei answering her phone. He had tricked her. She immediately lunged toward him and tried to get her phone from his ear, but he kept shoving her away playfully. To make things worse, Aya didn't even know who was on the other side of the line. What if it was her mother or worse, what if it was Ran? Then again, what time was it?

"Aya is with me. She's fine so stop calling." Rei said in a stern strong voice. Then he clicked and tossed the phone over to Aya. Catching her phone, Aya looked at it and then at Rei. He looked pretty angry, but he still carried a triumphant smirk on his face.

"So who was it?" Aya asked him, taking a step toward him. "Was it Ran? Miyu? If it was Ran, then you better get prepared for a big interrogation. I can't believe you just said that!" Aya remarked as her hand flew to her head.

"Hmph." Rei sat down on her bed and crossed his hands. His foot was shaking furiously. "It wasn't either of them." He told her with sarcasm. "It was your good friend Yuuya Asou."

Aya looked down at her phone, her eyes wide and her mouth letting out a sigh. She was starting to feel bad that she hadn't called her friends to tell them that she was okay. They were probably worried about her while she was with the company of Rei, fine as can be. Aya looked at the floor while her cheeks flushed red. Why had Yuuya called her? Would he tell Ran that she was with Rei late at night? Aya checked the time in her cellphone and realized that it wasn't night at all; it was 5 in the morning, almost 6.

She pushed her hair away from her face, sighing. She was starting to walk toward the bathroom when Rei grabbed her by the waist and pulled her toward him. Even if he grabbed a million times, Aya would never stop blushing. "Rei, let go. You've done enough already."

"Well, you're the one that told me to stay, so stayed and I'm planning on staying." He stated quite seriously, but there was still some sarcasm in his voice. "So why is he calling you so late at night?"

"First of all," Aya began, blushing when she felt Rei's breath hit her skin. "I told you to stay because I wasn't feeling well, but now I'm feeling much better. Second, it's not late at night. It's already morning. Last, Yuuya is my friend and he was probably worried about me. Next time you see him, I want you to apologize for your rudeness."

"Nope. Not gonna happen." Rei said while his arms let go of her. He walked toward the chair that he had sat on yesterday and sat down. "It's his fault for interrupting us. Who would call someone at 5 in the morning? Seriously, I don't know who's the bigger idiot you or him."

Aya shook her head in disbelief, but then she shrugged her shoulders. "Well, we should get ready for school. I mean there's no point to go back to sleep. It's about to be 6, just so you know."

"Heh? School?" Rei grabbed her hand and forcefully sat her down in the bed. Aya fell on her bed with a bounce. Then, Rei leaned his face close to hers. She blushed, but manged to look at him straight in the eyes. It was official; Aya liked Rei a lot better when he was nice and didn't tease her just see her flustered face. "Why would you go to school when you can stay here with me?"

"Rei, stop saying nonsense." Aya pushed Rei back and stood up again. "School is important and were going. If you like it or not, I will make you go to school even if I have to force you." When she was finished saying that, Aya headed toward the bathroom, leaving on the bed a very annoyed Rei. It was official; he like her better when she was sick.

After brushing her teeth, Aya came in the her room to find Rei looking through her desk. Aya smiled as she watched him looking curiously at a snow globe. She looked around her room and then wondered what Rei's room probably looked like. Her small smile quickly turned upside. She had been really mean to Rei a while back after everything he had done for her. Even he did say things to tease her, she still felt bad after barking at him the way that she had. He had stayed with her all night just to take care of her.

"Hey, Rei." Rei grabbed a photo album from Aya's desk and opened it. He started flipping through the pages, looking at each picture carefully. He took the album with him as he sat down in her bed. Aya sighed as she sat next to him. "Hey, Rei?"

He looked up at her. "What is it?" He asked her, but then he turned his attention to the album again. Aya smiled a bit when she heard Rei talking to her. At least he wasn't ignoring her. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I guess I was just a bit surprised to find you here." Aya told him while she fiddled with her fingers. "Also, I wanted to say thank you for everything. You were really nice to me yesterday."

Rei smirked as he flipped to the next page of the album. "Don't expect it to happen again. I was only nice to you because you were sick and I felt sorry for you." Rei gave her glance, but she gave him a sweet smile He shook his head and pointed at a picture in the album. "Is this you?"

Aya looked at the picture that he was looking at. Her eyes faltered when she noticed it was a picture of her and her brother when they were little. She was about 7 years old in a cute flowery bathing suit. Her 12 year old brother was holding her hand as he smiled, making a peace sign with hand. In the background, stood the beautiful vivid beach with the sun high in the sky. Aya nodded and told him that it was her. She quickly let go of the topic and snatched the album from his hands. She stood up and walked toward her dresser. She placed her album in the first drawer she saw. Then she turned to look back at Rei.

"Who was that boy?" Rei asked her seriously. Aya noticed something different in his voice. It sounded a lot like he was worried. Aya shook her head and forced a fake smile to appear on her face. "The boy with me in the picture is my brother." Rei noticed the sadness in her voice and decided not to ask anymore about it.

"Anyways," Aya began, looking down at her pajamas. "Are you going to go home and change? I mean shouldn't you get ready to go to school."

"I told you already." Rei said getting up and putting his hands on his pockets. "I'm not going to school and neither are you."

Aya sighed as she looked at the window. The sun still wasn't out, but the sky was starting to get it's bright blue color. It looked like it was going to be a beautiful day. "Listen Rei," Aya began. "We can't afford to miss any more school days. We're going to fall behind if we don't go school. Besides, my friends are probably worried about me. I haven't told them that I was sick."

Rei smirked as he walked toward her. He placed his hand on top of her head. "I can assure you that your friends won't be at school today and neither wil you because today is Saturday."

Aya gasped as she placed her hands over her mouth. She couldn't believe that she had forgotten that today was Saturday. She had been so involved in school and with her getting sick, she had completely forgotten what day it was. Aya sighed as she walked away from Rei and walked over to her bed again. She plopped herself in the center, sitting down with her legs crossed.

She grabbed her phone and looked at. Since Yuuya had called her around 5, Aya had assumed that it was a school day and that he was getting ready for school or something. Why had he called her so early on a Saturday? What was he doing awake at 5 in the morning? Aya turned on her phone and saw all the missed calls she had from her friends. Maybe she should call them later and tell them that she was okay.

Before she knew it, Aya had her head down on her pillow. Her eyes slowly closing as she stared at her phone. How could she have forgotten about her friends? Lately, she'd been thinking about no one, but Rei. She sighed, but then she felt Rei walk over to her. He grabbed a blanket and placed it over body. She looked up at him with a blush on her face. "Rei?"

"Sshh." He shushed her while he placed the blanket over. "It's still early. You should go back to sleep." He grabbed her phone and placed it on the table. "Call your friends later. After they have woken up, okay. Don't forget that my number is on that paper. If you need anything just call me."

"Wait. Where are you going?" Aya asked him. She couldn't believe the sadness that was pouring from her voice. She didn't understand why she was feeling that way. She had told Rei to leave and that was exactly what he was doing. Why did she still want him to stay after everything that he had done for her? Aya tried to get rid of her selfish feelings, but they wouldn't go away. "Are you going to go home now?"

Rei laughed as he bent down to give her a kiss on the forehead. Aya blushed madly when Rei looked at her straight in the eyes, her face directly in front of his. "Yeah, I'm going home, but after I walk your stupid mutt. He must be somewhere down stairs sick because he hasn't gone to the restroom."

Aya snickered, hiding her mouth with the blanket. She looked up at him and gave him a sweet smile. "Thank you so much, Rei. I owe you one."

"Yeah sure, silly girl." Rei placed his hands in his pockets and started walking toward the door. "Good night, Aya. I'll see you later."

Aya watched him as he walked out the door. He closed the door slowly, leaving behind a very happy Aya. Ever since she met Rei, she had begun to feel many new emotions that she thought she was never going to experience. Just like Rei, she was also slowly starting to change. She wasn't as shy as she used to be around him. She could easily talk to him and say what she was feeling, something that she still had trouble doing with her best friends.

Her mind thought about Yuuya and about how he had called her. She wondered what he had wanted to tell her especially at 5 in the morning. It was something strange that Aya knew she would have to face sooner or later. Yuuya was probably also wondering the same thing, asking himself what Rei was doing at her house at 5 am. She hoped that he didn't get the wrong idea about them.

As far as she knew, she and Rei were only friends, but lately, they have been getting closer. Not many girls would allow a guy to sleep with her in her room while her parents are gone. Then again, how many guys wouldn't try to make a pass on a girl they found alone at home? Aya sighed as she shifted herself in the bed. Rei was really something. Deep down that cold exterior, he was really a nice guy. The more they got to know each other, the kinder he became with her. She wondered why Rei had put a cold outer layer in the first place.

With that thought in mind, Aya closed her eyes and went off into dreamland.

…

"Aya! Aya! Aya!" Ran exclaimed as she placed her arms over her and gave her a tight squeeze. Aya began to have trouble breathing, feeling Ran hugging her tighter and tighter. "Where have you been? We were calling you like crazy! I couldn't sleep thinking about you!"

"Ran, stop lying." Miyu told her while she walked up to them. "Nothing can disturb your sleep. When it comes to eating and sleeping, you're the number one."

Aya pulled apart from Ran's hug and gave her a smile. She looked up at the sign of their favorite noddle shop. After she fell asleep, Aya woke up around 10 am and she immediately called her friends. They made plans to eat together at their favorite noodle shop and to enjoy the beautiful Saturday. Also, she was planning on telling them her friendship with Rei before Yuuya tells them that he was at her house. If Ran heard that, then she would probably bite her head off.

"I'm so sorry guys for not calling and saying that I wasn't going to school. I was sick and I wasn't in my five senses to call anyone." Aya told them truthfully. If she would have been on her five senses, then she wouldn't have asked Rei to stay with her at her house. Then again, she didn't think that he would take it so seriously. "It won't happen again. I got a cold for being careless. I'm sorry I didn't tell you all."

"Ah, don't worry about it, Aya." Miyu told her, giving her a small hug. "C'mon, let's go inside. It's way past noon and Miyu is very hungry! My poor Yamato won't be able to make it, though."

They opened the door and walked inside, but Aya stayed behind. Just when she was about to open the door, Aya spotted Yuuya running toward her. She let go of the door, making it close, and turned to face Yuuya. Her face blushed when she met his eyes, feeling a bit embarrassed about what Rei had told him. Aya averted her eyes toward the ground. "Hey, Yuuya."

"Hey," He quietly said. To her surprise, he walked passed her and went inside the shop. Aya stood there, dumbfounded and confused, finding it hard to believe that Yuuya, her best friend, had ignored her. Aya's hands clasped together as she opened the door to the shop, following him.

Aya looked for her friends and found them sitting by the window, waving at her to come over. They all had smiles on their faces, except for Yuuya. He kept his eyes away from her and was looking at something outside the window. Aya's heart sinked with sadness while she walked over to them. Unfortunately, she hadn't realized that the only seat available for her was next to Yuuya. She gulped and sat down next to him unwillingly.

He was definitely mad at her. Could it be because Rei had rudely clicked on him? She didn't think that Yuuya would take it so seriously. Usually, he's the type of person that would just take everything as joke and then laugh about it. This would be the first time that he would be mad at her. There has been many times were Yuuya and Ran got into arguments, fighting over the dumbest things. It was rare for Yuuya to get mad at anyone else, especially her. Aya had to admit it to herself. The fact that Yuuya was ignoring her hurt her.

"So Aya," Ran started, crossing her hands and putting a sly smile on her face. "I saw you and Rei the other day after school."

Aya started to choke on her own saliva while Yuuya sighed sadly. Miyu looked at Aya surprised, flying a hand over her lips to hide her smile. Meanwhile, Ran just laughed with victory. "Ran," Aya exclaimed after coughing. "What are you saying?"

Ran shrugged her shoulders. "Well, the other day I saw you and Rei together after school. He was holding your hand and then he kissed you." Miyu gasped, her smile radiating with laughter. "Oh! Aya is that true? Did he really kiss you?"

"No! He didn't kiss me!" Aya exclaimed again. She could feel Yuuya's glare on her. She gave him a quick peek . She didn't understand why he was acting that way. He seemed to get angry at the mention of Rei. Then he probably was mad about Rei answering her phone. She hoped that he wouldn't tell Ran since she seemed to exaggerate things. "He didn't kiss me, kiss me. He just gave me a small little peck on the forehead which is something totally different."

"Ha!" Ran hollered, standing up excitingly and pointing her index finger at Aya. "So you don't deny it! You finally admit that Rei does like you!"

Miyu shook her head and calmly made Ran sit down. "Ran, you're making a scene and everyone is staring at us. Look at poor Aya. She looks so embarrassed. Sit down." Ran did what she told, but she still kept her victorious smile on her face, her eyes stuck to Aya.

"Ran, don't say things like that. There is no way Rei has feelings for me." Aya told her as she waved her hands back and forth. No matter what she did though, Yuuya just didn't seem to care.

"I told you before, Aya! You're in complete denial." Ran said after slamming her hands forcefully on the table. The waiter was finally going to come take their order, but was scared off by Ran's yelling. Aya and Miyu sighed since there was no way they could keep her quiet once she has her brain running. "Aya just admit it. He likes you. I mean he wouldn't kiss because he hates you or would he?" She asked her, but Ran ended up answering her own question. "No, he wouldn't."

Aya took a moment to swallow Ran's words. As much as she wanted to deny it, Aya knew that every thing Ran was saying was true. Rei wouldn't take care of her, kiss her, or hug her because he hated her. He must at least feel something toward her if he was capable of doing such kind things for her. Aya had always wanted Rei to be her friend and now he was. They were both good friends. Now, though, did she want him to be something else? Something more then simply friends? Aya shook her head. She couldn't believe how demanding she had become.

Suddenly, Ran stood up and grabbed Miyu by the arm. "Damn! Why haven't they come and taken our damn order? C'mon, Miyu! Let's go order some food!" Ran pulled Miyu toward the cashier, ready to ask for her food and leaving behind Aya to deal with a surprisingly annoyed Yuuya.

They sat there in silence for a couple of seconds, but then Aya broke it. She couldn't just leave Yuuya to boil in his own anger. "Hey, Yuuya," She began turning her body so that she could get a better glimpse of him. "Are you okay? You seem kind of mad."

To her relief, Yuuya smiled at her and he also turned his body on the chair so that he could look at her straight in the eyes. A heavy weight was lifted from Aya's chest. "Oh, Aya-chan. I'm not mad. I'm sorry I made you think that. I'm just a bit disappointed." He looked away from her, his eyes looking at yelling Ran.

A smile erupted from Aya's lips when she saw Yuuya gazing at Ran. "Does it have something to do with Ran?" She asked him. "Did you finally confess your feelings to her?"

Yuuya shook his head and placed his hands on the table. Aya looked at him curiously, hoping that she wasn't the cause of his distress. "No, Aya," He stated. "I haven't confessed my love for her because I realized that I didn't really love her." He looked at her and then smiled. "My love for her was more like a stupid crush that just passes by."

"Oh." Aya didn't like what she was hearing at all. Here she thought all along that Yuuya's feelings for Ran were strong. "What made you realize that?"

"Well," Yuuya scratched the back of his head doubtfully. "The other day when I saw Ran and Tatsuki-chii together, for some reason I didn't feel outraged. It's true I did feel a bit depressed because she chose some other guy before me, but it wasn't anything serious, you know?" Yuuya looked her to see if he was making any sense. Aya just nodded.

"Anyways, yesterday, when you didn't come to school, I got really worried. I didn't know if you were okay or if something had happened to you because you're no the type of person that would miss school. I couldn't sleep at all." Aya's face blushed with embarrassment when she realized where this story was going to end up. "I decided to call you, but I would have never thought that you had company."

"Yuuya," Aya began with a face as red as a tomato. "Please, don't get the wrong idea. Nothing happened. Rei just came over my house and took care of me while I was sick. I don't know how it happened, but he ended sleeping over at my house." Aya decided to leave some parts out since Rei was already starting to have a pretty bad picture in Yuuya's mind.

"Well, it's good to know that there is nothing going on between you and Rei." Yuuya told her as he leaned closer to her. "You know, the truth is that I-I-"

"Look! Someone is getting in a fight!" Someone hollered interrupting Yuuya's sentence. Then, Aya noticed that the few people that were in the shop were running toward the window.

"Where? I wanna see!" Ran yelled as she sprinted over to the window that was right behind Yuuya. She was so excited to see that she didn't notice that she was stepping on Yuuya foot. Miyu also walked over to see what was going on. Aya tried to control her curiosity, but gave up and joined her friends to look outside.

She couldn't really see much since there was a crowd of people around the two guys that were fighting. Aya squinted her eyes and to her surprise found out that one of boys that were fighting had brown hair. Brown hair that she had just seen early in the morning. Gasping, Aya's eyes widen with surprised when she realized the person getting into a fight was none other than Rei.

* * *

><p>TBC...<p>

_A quick thanks to all my readers! _


	13. The Finish Line

**Gals!**

_I'm very very sorry for such a super late update. _

_A lot has been going on. I just didn't have the time and I just didn't have the energy._

_Well, I hope I can bounce back soon._

_I'll try to update as soon as I can._

* * *

><p><strong>Opposite Attractions<strong>

**Chapter 13 – The Finish Line**

Everyone ran to the far side of the room, trying to get a glimpse of who were the people fighting outside. Aya, of course, didn't move and stood still in front of the large window, staring outside while her heart thumped loudly inside her. She couldn't believe that the person outside was none other than Rei Otohata.

Without another second of hesitation, Aya pushed herself through the crowd and headed toward the door. She didn't even realize that she had left Ran, Miyu and Yuuya in utter confusion. She turned back to look at them and gave them a small reassuring smile.

What was she planning on doing? She wasn't sure at all. All she wanted to do was to stop Rei from getting himself into problems. She couldn't allow him to get into a fight. He needed to stop being so violent so that her friends could accept him. Aya bit her lower lip as she ran toward the door. She grabbed the door's handles and pulled on them with all her might. The only thing in her mind right now was to get to Rei.

Once she was outside, Aya fought against another big crowd of people until she stood right in front of Rei. He was grabbing a guy tightly by the collar with one hand while he was getting ready to punch him with the other. Aya wanted to stop him, but a part of her suddenly got scarred. After standing there in a daze for a couple of seconds, Aya shook off all the fear that she felt and ran over to Rei. She grabbed his arm tightly, preventing him from hitting the man that was obviously trembling in his grasp.

"Rei! Don't do it!" Aya told him while she held on to Rei's hand that was in mid air. "What in the world are you doing? You're making a scene. You shouldn't be fighting!"

"The only one making a scene is you." Rei snapped back at her, pushing the man to the ground. "Just go away. This isn't any of your business. Leave me alone."

Aya shook her head as she looked down at the man in the ground. He must of done something terribly wrong to have gotten Rei so angry. Rei hadn't talked to her like that in a long time. Aya found it a bit surprising. "You can't just go around fighting people. If you keep doing that, then you're going to get in trouble."

Shrugging his shoulders, Rei picked up the guy from the collar again and stared at him straight in the face. "I don't give a damn if I get in trouble or not. This guy pissed me off and I'm going to make him regret it." He punched him hard across the face before Aya stopped him again.

She knew that she was putting herself in a very dangerous situation. If she would've moved one more inch to the right, then that punch could have landed on her. Aya shuddered a bit while she tried to fight her tears in. What else could she do? Her words weren't reaching Rei. She felt so useless. Here she was trying to make the situation better, but she was only making things worse. She was only railing Rei's anger.

"You won't solve anything by killing him, Rei." Aya whispered while she looked down in the ground, still holding on to Rei's arm firmly so that he wouldn't try to hit the guy again. "What did this guy do to you?"

"Heh?" Rei pushed the guy on the ground, who had blood from the side of his mouth and few bruises all over his face. What made him look worse was his swollen purple looking eyes. "This dumb ass was the one that started to pick a fight with me." Rei wiped the side of his mouth with his hand. "He was the one that started this crap."

Aya stood silent as she watched the guy from the ground slowly starting to get up. That's when she remembered where she had seen him before. He had been with Kazuki Katase on the day they all tried to jump Rei. Maybe Katase had sent him to provoke Rei. Aya sighed sadly as she placed her hands on her chest. Why couldn't Rei just ignore them?

"It doesn't matter who starts." Aya told him, looking at him with a sweet smile. "Those guys are just jerks and they just want to mess with you. You should learn how to ignore him."

Rei crossed his and looked around. He gave everyone that was looking at him death glares that sent them running off with fear. Pretty soon, the street went back to normal to Aya's relief. Of course, the guy was still on the ground. "Are you okay?" Aya asked the guy on the ground. "Here take my hand."

In reality, Aya didn't really feel like helping that guy, but she felt sorry for him. His long brown hair was scattered all over his head. His white t-shirt was splattered with blood that kept falling from the side of his mouth. He must have gotten Rei pretty mad for him to have left him that way. Aya sighed as she held out her hand to him. She gave Rei a quick peek and sure enough, he was staring at her while he kept his hands crossed. He wasn't saying anything about her helping the guy. He was probably starting to feel guilt inside him.

To Aya's surprise, the guy stood up by himself and then he walked over to Rei. He had his hands clenched into fists, blood trickling down from his knuckles and anger steaming from his ears. "You're going to regret this, Otohata. Kazuki is going to make you pay."

Rei smirked, grabbing on to his collar briskly. "Tell him that I'll be waiting for him." Rei pushed him away. "Even if he brings all his little group, I'll take him on."

The guy furrowed his eyebrows before he turned around and started to run away. Aya sighed while she looked at Rei. In a way, it was like a victory for Rei. Looking around, Aya suddenly saw her friends staring at her from inside the shop. Ran and Yuuya were staring at her with their mouths opened in amazement while Miyu looked at her with eyes full of concern.

Feeling a blush form in her face, Aya quickly turned back to face Rei. What in the world would she say to them? She would never hear the end of it. They would probably start questioning her why in the world she had stood up for Rei when she didn't even know him. Aya wished she could rewind time to the point where she was still inside the shop. Why did this have to happen to her?

"Otohata-kun? Are you okay?" Aya asked him quietly. "You seemed pretty angry. That guy was in a horrible condition. Did you really beat him up that way? What did he do to you?"

Rei rolled his eyes, placing his hands in his pockets. He started to walk down the sidewalk. Aya hesitated to follow him since her friends were probably staring at her. Then she made up her mind to go after him even though she would have a lot of explaining to do to her friends.

"Otohata-kun?" Aya picked up her pace since Rei was already starting to leave her behind. She couldn't believe how fast Rei was capable of walking just to avoid her. "You didn't answer any of questions."

"You're so annoying sometimes." Rei snapped at her as he walked, avoiding her gaze. "I have no idea how I put up with you." Aya pouted and just as she was about to speak, she was interrupted by Rei. "Then again, you're the one that has the capability to put up with me."

Aya tilted her head to the side. "What do you mean by that?"

"If any girl were in you're shoes, she probably would have already dumped me or something." Rei told her in a plain dry tone. "Aren't you afraid of me? Didn't you see the way I was beating the crap out of that guy?"

"Well, to be honest, I didn't really see much. The only reason I realized that you were outside fighting was because everyone inside the shop was making such a big fuss." Aya felt a blush forming in her face when she accidentally met Rei's cold blue eyes. Deep down inside, her heart was melting. "You shouldn't worry about me. I will never leave your side. I'm not afraid of you in least. I'm sure you had reasons even though I don't agree with such violent methods."

Rei shook his head while a small grin appeared on his face. "If you hadn't stopped me, I probably would have ended up almost killing him." Suddenly, Rei stopped walking and looked up at the clear blue sky. "By now, I probably would be in the police station. Then, I would have to come face to face with my so called dad."

Aya stood motionless next to him, a bit surprised to hear Rei speaking of his father. This was the first time that she heard him talking about his family. Gulping, Aya began to twiddle with her fingers. "Otohata-kun, where are your parents?"

"Don't know. Don't care." Rei shrugged as he began walking again. Aya sighed while she started following him. "The only time I see them is when they bail me out of jail. Other than that, they don't give a damn about me."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring that up." Aya quickly apologized, noticing the pain in his voice.

Sighing, Rei shook his head. "It's fine. Besides, you're probably the only person that understands me or at least pretends to understand me, anyway."

Aya smiled at him and nodded. "The only reason that I'm capable of understanding you is because you're opening yourself up to me. I'm very glad about that. After all, what's life without having at least one friend? You're one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me."

"You really are a strange girl." Rei blurted out.

"I know. You've told me that before." Aya said a cheery, a small laugh escaping from her lips. "By the way Rei, where are you going? It seems to me that you're walking with no specific direction. If you like we can go eat somewhere. I didn't get a chance to eat yet."

"Weren't you with your friends a few minutes ago?" Rei asked her, lifting up his eyebrow a little. Aya nodded, looking down a bit embarrassed as she remembered her friends perplexed faces as they saw her walking away with Rei. "Why didn't you just eat with them?"

"I don't know." Aya said a bit sadly. She could notice a bit of frustration in Rei's voice. He was probably getting tired of always having her around like a lost homeless puppy. He had stayed with her all night taking care of her. She didn't want to keep pestering him. He probably wanted some time of hi sown.

"I'm sorry. I guess I should go back with them then." Aya said quietly before biting her lower lip. "After all, I'm sure I have already bothered you enough. I'll see you around then."

Aya was about to turn around and leave when Rei suddenly grabbed her hand, stopping her her. With widen eyes, Aya turned to look at him. After making eye contact with him, he quickly let go of her. "Is something wrong, Otohata-kun?"

"I didn't say I didn't want you around, stupid." Rei blurted out, looking away from her gaze. "I'm hungry so why don't you buy me something to eat."

A warm feeling started to develop inside Aya as she was trying with all her might to prevent a smile from forming on her face. Rei actually wanted her to be with her. There was nothing better than spending a beautiful Saturday with a beautiful person like Rei. Looking at her hand, Aya could still feel Rei's warm touch.

"Okay, then." Aya suddenly said, smiling. "Let's go eat somewhere."

Rolling his eyes, Rei slowly grabbed Aya's hand again, making her blush madly. "Like I said before, I'm just holding your hand cause' I don't want you getting lost or something." Aya nodded, her mind trying to figure out the real reason why he was really grabbing her hand. "If you were to get lost, then finding you will be close to impossible."

"If you say so." Aya told him, gripping tightly to his warm strong hand, the hand that had almost killed a guy a few minutes ago.

…

Stretching her hands in the air, Aya calmly walked inside school. She had arrived earlier than most days because she didn't want to have a run in with her friends. They would probably start questioning her about her situation with Rei. Aya sighed as she checked her watch. In reality, she kind of wished her friends could just forget about that. Also, she couldn't get a wink of sleep. All weekend she had been thinking of no one except Rei. He was in every corner of her mind and her heart.

After he had taken her out to eat on Saturday, he walked her home, but what made Aya extremely happy was the fact that he never let go of her hand. They held hands the entire time almost as if they were a couple. Aya yawned while her hands rubbed her eyes. She wished she could be that way with Rei all the time.

Aya walked down the long hallways and stopped when she stood right in front of her classroom. She opened the door to find some girl with blond hair sticking a note inside of Rei's desk. Aya's eyebrow twitched a bit after she made eye contact with her. Aya had never seen her in her life. She was probably someone from another classroom. Still, it kind of surprised Aya that someone actually had the guts to give Rei a note. Then again, she wasn't entirely sure what the girl was putting in his desk. Whatever it was, Rei would probably throw it away when he finds it.

Suddenly, the girl took a few steps forward while her hands turned to fists. She had such angry look on her face that it was kind of starting to scare Aya. Gulping, Aya ignored the girl and began to walk toward her desk. Then, the girl spoke. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Well, this is my class." Aya replied really quietly. For some reason, the girl seemed angry at her, but as far as she knew, this was the first time that she had ever met her. Gripping onto her bag, Aya sat down on her chair and faced forward. Then she noticed the girl walking toward her.

She stood in front of her with her hands crossed and a mean glare. "What is Otohata-kun to you?"

Aya sighed, looking down at her desk. Apparently, she didn't really know the answer to the girl's question. To her Rei was something more than a friend. One thing she did know for sure though was that she always wanted to be by his side. He was a person that was worth having as a friend. He was the most important person to her. "He's my friend."

The girl shook her head as she placed her hands on her hips. "Well, that better be true. I always see you following him like a lost dog. You must annoy him to the core." The girl let out a small snicker that sent a chill through out Aya's body. She really disliked girls like her, but of course, she would never say that out loud.

"I guess that means you wouldn't mind if I confessed my feelings to him, then?" The girl asked her really seriously.

Aya remained silent. She had idea why that girl was telling her all this. She was only Rei's friend. She had nothing to do with Rei's personal life. Or did she? Suddenly, Aya felt a loud throb in her heart. IF Rei were to go out with this girl, what would she do? What spot would she have in his heart? Without even realizing it, a small tear had escaped from her eyes. A feeling called jealousy filling her chest.

"Are you in love with Rei Otohata?"

This was one time that Aya felt like getting up and running away. She didn't want to come face to face with her feelings yet. It was true that she might have a crush on Rei, but love? Aya didn't know what to say. If she said that she didn't like him then it would be straight up lie. Also, she didn't want Rei to go out with a girl like her.

"So do you like him or not? You haven't answered the question. Do you like Rei Otohata or not?"The girl exclaimed getting closer and closer to her. Before Aya realized it, the girl's hands were on top of her desk and she was leaning her face toward hers. That's when Aya noticed that the girl wasn't naturally blond and her black roots were starting to show. Her hair kind of symbolized her personality. "Answer me! Dammit! What is Rei Otohata to you?"

"Please. Leave me alone." Aya turned away since the girl was obviously invading her personal space. "I don't understand why you're asking me all these questions."

Fuming with anger, the girl grabbed Aya's wrists tightly and forced her to look forward. "I need to know what's going on between you and Rei right now because I'm in love with him! I've been watching him ever since he enrolled here and I don't remember ever seeing him alone! You're always with him! It annoys me! Why can't you just get a life!"

"You're the one that needs to get a life, stalker." Aya heard a very familiar voice coming from the doorway and sure enough, Rei Otohata was standing there with his hands crossed and with a very disturbed expression on his face.

The blond hair girl quickly let go of Aya and moved away, letting her breath a little. Aya felt a deep shade of red forming in her cheeks after feeling Rei's stare on her. Why did Rei always come to her at the perfect moment? Aya bent her head down and stared down at her trembling knees. Had Rei heard everything that girl had said? Sighing, Aya bent her head low enough so that her hair was covering her face. She didn't want to see the blond girl running over to Rei and telling him her feelings. Aya just wouldn't be able to stomach it if she watched. Also, it wasn't any of her business. Even though she didn't want to watch, she still peeked every once in a while.

"Hello, Otohata-kun!" The girl excitedly squealed. "I'm Keiko Oshiro! I'm a first year student and I've been in love with you since I first saw you. I've never had the courage to say something before because I thought you were a mean and cold hearted person. I'm sure we would make a perfect couple. Rei Otohata, I really do love you." The girl looked up at him, waiting for him to say something.

"I could care less." Rei told her coldly pushing her away and walking inside the classroom without a care in the world. Then he turned around to look at the the girl that had just confessed her love to him. "Fuck off and don't come near me."

Suddenly, much to Aya's surprise, the girl busted out crying. "Damn you, Rei Otohata! I'm going to make you regret this! Rejecting me? How dare you!" Then, after giving Rei one last look, she ran out the classroom, her heart probably torn in two.

"Oh, yeah. I'm scared." Rei said to himself as he walked over to Aya. He kneeled down next to her desk, surprising her a bit and making her blush madly. Then he gave her a mischievous smirk. "Why are you always being picked by others? Don't you find it frustrating?"

Aya smiled at him as she watched him get up and go to his desk. A part of her kind of felt sorry for the girl that had just confessed her feelings to Rei. She hoped that the day she confessed Rei, he wouldn't act like that.

…

Looking around, Aya made sure that no one was around before she went to go catch up with Rei. After a long day, Aya felt ready to go home, but first she had to talk to Rei. "Hey! Otohata-kun." Aya called out to him as she walked toward him. "Wait up."

"What is it?" Rei asked her plainly and without any emotion spilling out from his voice. "What do want?"

Aya smiled, looking down at the ground with a flustered face. "I just wanted to say thank you for defending me this morning even though you didn't really mean to." Aya laughed a little. "You always seem to have such perfect timing."

"Don't expect it to happen again." Rei told her placing his hand in pockets while he carried his school bag with other. "It's not my fault that you're always being bullied for others. Maybe things like that wouldn't happen if you didn't pose yourself as perfect bait."

"Hmm. Whatever." Aya waved her hand back and forth, trying to let go of the conversation before he humiliated her more, but then a strange sad feeling invaded her heart. A part of her wished that she could stay that way with Rei forever while another part of her wanted her relationship with Rei to grow. She wanted to be with him at all times, but that would never be possible or would it? "Hey, Otohata-kun?"

"What do you want now?" Rei stopped walking and turned around to look at her. She also stopped walking, standing right in front of him. "When that girl confessed her feelings," Aya began, looking straight at his shirt and trying to avoid his gaze. "What did you feel?"

"Nothing."

"Rei. I'm being very serious. That girl really seemed to like you and she even placed a note in your desk. I'm sure that it was a love letter. Didn't you feel anything when you read it?"

"Nothing."

"Well, I guess it would be kind of hard to feel something when it's a stranger that confessed to you." Aya admitted to herself as she looked down at the floor. "Then again, things like that don't happen everyday."

"I don't care. Besides, I'm kind of used it to it already. I really could care less how others feel about me; whether it's love or hate. I just find a way to deal with it and move on." He told her while he looked out the hallway window, leaving a Aya stunned since he was actually keeping a conversation going. "A love confession like that girl's is useless to me."

"Why do say that?" Aya suddenly felt sadness swelling inside her chest. He talked so casual, saying things without even realizing that his words might hurt others. He always carried a cold exterior around so that others wouldn't get near him. Maybe that was the reason that he could easily just reject a girl. "Don't you care about what others feel?"

Aya could tell that he was starting to get annoyed by the subject, but Aya wasn't planning on changing on the topic anytime soon. She needed to know if she even had chance of confessing her feelings in some point. If Rei just rejected every girl that came up to him, then what would be the point? Also, if she ever did say her feelings, then she risked losing her friendship with him. Aya sighed as she decided to keep her feelings bottled up.

"I don't care what other people think or feel about me," Rei suddenly blurted, turning around so that she wouldn't see his face. That's when Aya noticed that the hand that was carrying his school bag was trembling. "But out of the whole world, there's only one person I really care about."

Aya's heart was about to jump right out of her chest the moment he said those words. Putting her hands over her chest, Aya felt her entire body starting to quiver. Then she started to ask herself if the person she was talking to was really Rei Otohata. "What are you saying, Rei?" Aya said quietly to herself before looking at the white wall. "Who are you talking about, Rei?"

"You should know. After all, she is stuck to me like a fly." Rei said without turning to look at her.

Aya pouted as she sighed, but then she felt her face and her cheeks burning red. Could it be that he was talking about her? Was she the most important person to him out of the whole world? Taking a deep breath, Aya tried to relax herself. "Are you t-talking about m-me?"

"Who else is stuck to me like a fly?"

Placing her hand over her mouth, Aya started crying. She couldn't believe that Rei cared about her that much. She always believed that she was just a friend to him, but somehow she had become the most important person to him. Could that mean that he liked her like a friend or more than a friend? Aya wished she had the guts to ask him, but she couldn't.

"Why the hell are crying? I didn't say anything mean to you or did I?" He said after he turned around to look at her.

"I'm sorry. It's just that I'm so happy. That's such nice thing to say. You've done so much for me that I always thought that I was only a bother for you. There was even a point where I thought you hated me. I'm so happy that I became you're friend. I'm so glad that I met you. Thank you for everything."

"I'm the one that's suppose to say thank you, stupid." Even though his words were sharp and blunt, he grabbed her hands gently, making Aya blush a deeper shade of red. Then, he suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace. Blinking cluelessly, Aya wondered if she was dreaming since the Rei Otohata she knew would never hug her with such care. She could feel his warmth traveling throughout her body while her head leaned closely to his chest. Her nostrils finally having the pleasure of smelling his sweet aroma. Even though she wasn't entirely sure why he was hugging that way, Aya wished she could stay that way forever.

"Where would I be without you?" Rei whispered quietly to her ear. "I'd probably be wondering the streets right now or maybe somewhere at a police station."

Feeling her heart racing at a hundred miles per hour, Aya found the courage to speak despite the fact being in Rei's arms. "Oh, Rei. I'm just happy to be here with you. I'll always be with you."

"You never did give up on me. No matter how mean I was to you." Rei hugged her tighter, but Aya didn't complain. "I guess that's why I grew attached to you."

"Rei?" Aya suddenly said. Apparently her words were coming out without her consent. "What would you do if I said I liked you?"

...


	14. Revelations

**Gals!**

_I'm very sorry. I haven't updated any of my stories for months now. Please forgive. So many good and bad things were going on that I just couldn't find it inside me to continue any of my stories. Things are much better now and I'm so excited about being back again with all this inspiration._

_Well, I'm back again and I'll try to update as quick as I can. Please enjoy!_

* * *

><p><strong>Opposite Attractions<strong>

**Chapter 14 – Revelations**

"Hey! Aya! Over here!"

The moment Aya heard Ran calling she immediately pushed herself away from Rei, surprising him a bit. She quickly took a few steps back and looked down at the floor, her face turning a bright color of red. She sighed before giving Rei a quick look. She wondered if he had heard her question at all. Feeling embarrassment rush to her face, Aya couldn't believe that she had almost confessed to Rei. What in the world had she been thinking?

She was finally letting her emotions get the best of her. Deep inside her, she didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. A part of her wanted to keep her relationship with Rei the way it was, but another part of her wanted it to be something more.

Looking down at the ground, Aya could feel Rei staring at her. She wondered what he was thinking as she heard Ran's steps getting closer and closer. If she hadn't interrupted them would Rei have answered her question?

_What would you do if I said I liked you?_

She couldn't believe that she had such a question. Many things had happened between her and Rei. She was willing to take a step forward, but what about Rei? Did he see her as something more than a friend? Despite all the things that he had done for her, Aya doubted Rei felt anything for her beyond friendship.

Aya sighed a little before looking up to see Ran standing right in front her with a very serious and concerned face. Getting a bit anxious, Aya gave Ran a crooked smile. "Hey, Ran."

Ran didn't say anything. She looked at Aya and then glanced to look at Rei, who had a very cool and relaxed expression, the total opposite of Aya. Ran looked back at her and give her a suspicious smile. "Hello, Aya! So how are you feeling today?"

"What do you mean by that?" Aya asked a little confused. She gave Rei a quick glance. When their eyes accidentally met, Aya blushed and quickly looked away.

She really wanted Rei to leave, but there was no way she was about to tell him that. Aya felt that Ran was going to ask him about their relationship in any second. She probably wanted to know what was going on between them and Aya couldn't blame her. She had gone out of her way to stop Rei from fighting with that guy in front of the shop and in front of her friends. Aya didn't want Rei to go through an intense interrogation from Ran.

"Hey, Rei Otohata! You have some serious explaining to do!" Ran suddenly busted out, pointing her finger to Rei while making Aya jump with surprise. This was exactly what she wanted to avoid.

"What the hell is she talking about?" Rei asked Aya with an annoyed look on his face.

Aya nervously laughed. "I have no idea. She comes up with the weirdest things sometimes."

"Hey! Don't talk about me when I'm standing right in front of you! I'm being really serious! We have a lot of talking to do!" Ran hollered, grabbing Aya by the shoulders and looking at her straight in the eyes. "Aya, what in the world were you thinking!"

"Ran! This isn't the time or place. C'mon. We'll go talk somewhere else, okay?" Aya, blushing, grabbed Ran's hand and started dragging her away.

Before turning the corner, Aya turned around to look at Rei. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Otohata-kun. I'm going to with Ran for a bit."

Rei shrugged and turned around the opposite direction. "Sure. Do what you want."

His reply made Aya's smile drop a bit. Even after she had come so close to confessing her feelings, Rei was still the same as ever. Aya stopped walking as she watched Rei walk away. She watched with discomfort the opportunity she had let slip by. She regretted not saying her feelings directly. Then again, things happen for a reason.

"Don't you dare think I'm done with you, Rei Otohata!" Ran yelled, waving her fists in the air while snapping Aya from her thoughts.

"Ran, you can't just scream like that here. If you haven't noticed, we're still in school!" Aya said in serious voice, but she could tell that Ran wasn't listening to her. "People are going to hear you."

"I don't care." Ran stammered with an attitude. "Let's go. I came to get you and, whether you like it or not, you're eating lunch with me and Miyu!"

"Ran, it's fine. I'll eat lunch with you guys. I have no problem with that. You act like if I hadn't eaten with you guys for years. I don't know what's up with you." Aya commented as she watched Ran cross her hands. "You've been acting a bit strange."

"Am I? Am I really?" Ran asked with a sarcastic tone and looked at Aya sharply. "Wouldn't you say it's the other way around?"

"What do you mean?" Aya asked her quietly, looking down at her feet. "I have always been like this."

Ran raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, right. I doesn't matter because you're going to tell us everything that is going on between you and Rei Otohata! You two are the ones that have been acting very strange and I want to know why!"

"Ran, calm down. There's nothing going on between me and Rei. We're just friends and I can assure you that Rei would never see me as anything more than a friend." Aya told her very quietly.

That was the truth. There was times that Rei would act very sweet towards her, but sometimes he would only act that way to tease and make fun of her. he was never serious with her or was he? In reality, Aya didn't know what to think anymore. She looked over towards the window. Her mind thinking about Rei and wondering where he he had gone to. She didn't even get the chance to hear Rei's response to her question.

"Well, let's go!" Ran suddenly yelled, grabbing Aya by the arm and pulling her away. "Miyu and Yuuya are waiting for us!"

"Wait? Yuuya is there too? I thought you said it was only Miyu?" Aya exclaimed. "Wait, Ran! I haven't even gotten my lunch box!"

Ran shook her head. "Ah, fine. Go and get it. I'll wait for you right here."

…

Blushing a faint color of pink, Aya quickly looked away from Yuuya who was sitting right next to Miyu outside under a big tree. Grabbing her bento box tightly, Aya looked up at the tree's leaves that rustled gently with the wind. It was such a beautiful day. She couldn't wait to get away from school, go home, and have a peaceful walk with Dylan.

With that thought in mind, Aya tried to relax as she forced a smile. "Hello, Miyu. Hey, Yuuya."

Miyu smiled at her, but Yuuya stayed quiet and looked down a bit embarrassed. Aya didn't understand why that was, but decided to ignore it. She watched Miyu motion her to sit down. Aya hesitated a bit since Miyu wanted her to sit next to Yuuya. Looking around, Aya decided to sit across from both them.

"So how are you guys doing?" Aya asked sweetly, unwrapping the cloth from her bento box. She placed her box on her lap and carefully opened the lid. She looked inside, sighing sadly. She had packed quite a lot of food since she had expected to share it with Rei. Of course, things didn't go as she planned. To make things worse, she didn't even feel hungry.

"We've been doing good. What about you?" Ran said as she sat down next to her.

Aya was about to reply to her question, but decided to stay quiet. She didn't know what to say to her. What surrounded them the next couple of minutes was silence. For some reason, Aya was feeling guilty. There were so many things that her friends didn't about her. Especially the fact that she was starting to grow feelings for Rei. They didn't know close they had started to become. They didn't know that Rei, despite his violent exterior, was really a sweet guy. How was she suppose just come out of no where and tell them everything? It would be too awkward.

"I've been doing okay." Aya finally said quietly, looking down at her bento box that was slowly sliding down to the ground.

"Aya, what the hell is going on between you and Rei?" Ran suddenly asked. Aya could notice the concern in Ran's voice. For some reason, that kind of scared her.

"Ran, please don't get the wrong idea. Rei and I are just friends. That's all. I already told you." Aya was going to add something else, but was suddenly interrupted by Ran.

"Oh, yeah? Then tell me what the hell Rei Otohata was doing at your house at 5 in the morning the other day?" Ran leaned closer to Aya, expecting an immediate answer.

Aya wanted to throw Yuuya a glare, but decided not too. He was probably the one that told Ran and Miyu that Rei was at her house. He was the only one that knew that Rei had been at her house. "Ran, please don't get the wrong idea. It's not what you think. I'm not going to deny it. Rei was at my house, but we weren't doing anything wrong. He was just taking care of me because I was sick. I didn't want to be alone so he stayed with me. He took care of me."

"But why didn't you call us? We could have helped you out. You didn't even bother telling us that you were sick." Miyu told her a bit more gentler than Ran. "That's why Ran got mad. She feels like you ignored us."

"What! I'm not mad." Ran said, trying to calm herself down despite her twitching eyebrow. "I'm just curious! Besides what the hell do you expect me to think when I figure out that a guy was at your house at 5 am! You two must be really really REALLY good friends then."

"We're just worried about you, Aya-chan." Aya heard Yuuya say faintly.

"I know. I'm sorry for not telling you. I guess I should have." Aya sighed, feeling a bit relieved. "There's no reason for you all to worry about me. I'm doing just fine now. I just got sick and Rei helped me out."

"Yeah, then you also stopped him from killing that guy's ass." Ran added with a mischievous smile. "So tell us what that was all about?"

"Oh, well, you see," Aya began. She couldn't seem to find the right words to describe the situation. "Rei can be a bit aggressive and violent at times. If you get on his wrong side, then he won't hesitate to pound you. That guy was trying to pick a fight with him and I just didn't want him to get in trouble. He doesn't think straight when he's mad. He says and does things without thinking. If I hadn't stopped, he would have killed the guy. Or at least that is what he said to me."

Aya knew very well what she was talking about. She knew Rei despite the short time she had spent with him. With Rei, she had experienced almost every possible feeling there is in a human being.

"Aya, you should be careful. He sounds like a dangerous person. Are you sure that you're safe around him?" Miyu asked as she took a bite from her homemade rice ball.

Nodding, Aya gave her a sweet smile. "He's very nice to me."

"Didn't I tell you before?" Aya turned to look at Ran who speaking with her mouth full. She took a sip from her drink and swallowed her food in one giant gulp. "I told you before that Rei would always stare at you in class. Of course, back then, I had no idea you two were such GREAT friends." Ran grabbed her sandwich and took a giant bite out of it. Aya and Miyu sweatdropped.

"There's nothing special about that. And I still think that it was your imagination!" Aya continued to argue.

"Just admit it, Aya! You like Rei!" Ran exclaimed before taking another bite out of her sandwich. "It's written all over you face!"

"No, it's not!" Aya argued back shyly with a blush on her face. She did like him, but she wasn't ready to admit it. Before she told anyone that she liked him, Aya wanted to tell him. "I d-don't know what you're talking about. Just drop the subject already. There's nothing more I can say to you guys about it."

"You're lying straight through your teeth. There's probably a whole bunch of other things that have happened between you and Rei that you still haven't told us. Who knows what dirty secrets you're hiding from us?" Ran stated, grabbing her drink and gulping it down in hurry down her throat. "For all we know you two could have already-"

"Ran!" Everyone said at the same time. She was getting too carried away to Aya's discomfort.

Shaking her head, Miyu looked at Aya and touched her hand lightly. "Don't mind her, Aya. She's just jealous. She feels that Rei is taking you away from our group." Aya blushed which caused Miyu to giggle. "It's okay, though. If you like Rei, Miyu totally supports you!"

"Ha! Ha! Me, jealous? Ha! Very funny, Miyu!" Ran stuffed her last piece of sandwich into her mouth before looking at Aya. After chewing and swallowing, she looked down at Aya's lunch. "Are you going to eat that?"

Aya looked at her food and then shook her. "No, I'm not hungry. You can have it."

"Hell yeah!" Ran took her lunch box , but before she began eating she looked at it very carefully. "Hmm, you sure you didn't make this for someone?"

Aya sighed. She was getting tired of Ran's questions. "Ran, I made that for myself. So stop getting silly ideas. Besides, why are you being so persistent on me and Rei being...together." Aya made sure that the last word came out in a whisper.

"Where in the world did you get that crazy idea from?" Ran grabbed one of Aya's rice balls and started to eat it with hunger. Aya couldn't believe how hungry she looked after she had just eaten. "Anyways," Ran continued. "I think you're too good for Rei. You should find someone that fits your personality. I mean, c'mon! You and Rei are like total opposites! It's crazy that a quiet shy girl would fall for such a crazy wild guy!"

"Geez, Ran! You make him sound like he's a delinquent. As long as Aya is happy, everything should be fine." Miyu told Ran with smile, but Ran wasn't listening. When she was eating, she usually blocked everything that wasn't food.

Aya could help but let out a small giggle. These were friends. She was so grateful to have such wonderful people like them in her life. Together they could do just about anything. Now, they were getting to know Rei just a little and Aya was really happy about that. Maybe one day they could all hang out together. Of course, maybe that was a little too much to ask. She doubted Rei would ever want to do something like that. As far as she knew, she was the only friend Rei had.

"Aya." Yuuya suddenly said, standing up and looking down at her. "I need to talk to you."

Everyone sat in silent for the next couple of seconds. Aya stiffened her body as she felt Yuuya's eyes land on her. Miyu and Ran looked at each other with surprised expressions. He had been silent during their whole Rei conversation and Aya wondered why.

"Well, then. I guess we'll leave you two alone. C'mon, Ran. Let's go." Miyu quickly got up and grabbed Ran tightly by the arm, pulling her up. "Besides, lunch break is almost over. Let's head back to class."

"No, wait! I'm still not finish eating!" Ran hollered, stretching her to reach Aya's lunch box that had fallen on the ground. Just when she was about to grab it, Miyu dragged her away from it. "Miyu!"

Aya smiled as she sat still. She could feel her entire body trembling nervously. The fact that Miyu and Ran had left only made her feel more nervous.

"So what is it that you wanted to me about? Is it something important?" Aya asked quietly. She kept her eyes on grass since she was afraid to meet Yuuya's eyes.

"It's important to me." Yuuya said, looking down at her. "So do you mind standing up?"

Aya couldn't believe how direct Yuuya was being. It was so unlike him. Obeying him, Aya nodded and slowly stood up. She could feel her legs quivering as she forced them to stand up. What was Yuuya going to tell her? The entire time he had been so quiet and he hardly talked to her. She wondered what was going on with him. He had only said one sentence to her the entire time.

"I'm very sorry, Aya. I didn't mean to tell Ran about you and Rei being together. I just got so worried when I saw you leave with him after that fight. He seems like a violent person."

"It's okay. I understand. You don't have to worry about it, though. Rei is a good person. You just have to get to know him. I'm almost sure you two could get along." Aya told him with a smile.

Thinking that was all he had to say, Aya was about to walk away when Yuuya spoke again. "Aya, I will never get along with Rei."

Aya flinched before turning to look at her disconcerted friend. "Why are you saying that? You should at least give him a chance. It would be great if we could all just get along."

"Don't you get it, Aya?" He asked so quietly that Aya could barely hear him. "I've tried telling you a million times in a million ways, but you never listen because your life has started to revolve around Rei. That's all you talked about. That's probably all you think about. You dumped us for him. He's more important to you than us. More important than me."

"Yuuya, don't say that! You, Ran, and Miyu are my friends. I would never do something like that. You should know that." Aya stated. "I don't know why you're saying all this to me."

"I like you, Aya."

Aya's eyes widen as she slowly looked up at him. She couldn't believe what he was saying. Why in the world was he saying this now? Aya bit her lip, trying to stop herself from crying. She had to be strong. If Rei were here, he would probably scold at her if her saw her crying.

"Yuuya." Aya placed her hands over her mouth and turned to look away. "I'm sorry. I can't. I don't feel that way towards you anymore."

"But why?" Yuuya asked her. "I thought you liked me."

"Yeah, I did! Four years ago!" Aya snapped back at him, turning around. A tear streamed down her face, but she angrily wiped it off. "You never paid attention to me because you were in love with Ran. Despite what you're saying, I still think that you're in love with her. The only reason that you are saying that you like me is because you lost your chance with Ran. She has Tatsuki-chii now. That's the only reason. You feel lonely."

"Aya, that's not it. I promise." Yuuya told and he was about to grab her hand, but Aya got out of the way.

"I'm sorry, Yuuya. I can only see you as my friend." Aya wiped her tears and turned around. Before Yuuya could say anything else, Aya ran toward the school as fast as could.

Of course, she never noticed Rei listening to their entire conversation.

…

It had been such a long and tiring day at school that Aya simply couldn't wait to go back home. So many things had happened that Aya just wanted to shove them toward the back of her mind and not think about it. The only thing she wanted to was go home and get some rest even though that was close to impossible. She still had to walk Dylan, make dinner for herself, and do homework.

Aya walked slowly through the park like she always did since it was the fastest way to get home. Also, it always seem to relax her bit. It was such a warm sight to see families hanging out together or children playing. It would always bring Aya good and sad memories. It would make her remember the days when she and her family were actually together. Aya sighed and looked around. She was a bit surprised that today the park was fairly empty.

Shaking that thought away, Aya's mind drifted over to Rei. After school was over, Aya expected Rei to be waiting for her somewhere, but she didn't see him anywhere. It was quiet a disappointment for her. She quickly imagined that he probably had something important to do, but she also imagined that he was trying to avoid her, especially after what she had said to him.

A sudden fear suddenly struck her. What if her relation with Rei suddenly changes because of what she said? Then again, there was no reason it should. Rei would probably forget about it the next time they meet. Besides, he would always say things like that and nothing ever changed. If things ever do change, Aya wanted it to be a change for the better.

"Well, look who we have here. Quite a surprise, huh?"

Aya immediately stopped walking as she heard the voice coming from behind her. She knew right away that the voice didn't belong to Rei, but for some reason, it sounded very familiar. She had heard that voice somewhere, but she just couldn't remember.

Carefully turning around, Aya was surprised to see Kazuki Katase standing in front of her with an evil smirk on his face. Three of his henchmen were standing right behind him carrying bats and metal bars.

Aya gulped as she took deep breaths. She turned around only to see her path being blocked by two other guys. In her mind, she wondered why this was happening to her. All she wanted was to be home. Now, she was standing face to face with Rei's enemies. What in the world was she suppose to do?

Turning back around, Aya looked at Katase nervously. "What do you want?"

Katase smirked. "Nothing, really. There's nothing you can really give me. You have no sex appeal whatsoever so I wonder why Rei is sticking around with you. It seems so pointless. Maybe you're a virgin? Is that it?"

Aya closed her eyes, bitterly swallowing his words. Once again, she was on the verge of tears. "What do you want? Just leave me alone."

"Why is Rei hanging out with you? I can't understand that. It makes no sense to me." Katase shrugged after completely ignoring Aya's question. "I mean he's been and slept with much more better women than you. I don't get why he would take an interest on a little girl."

It was unbearable for Aya to hear the words coming out of that guy's mouth. She couldn't believe how much they were hurting her. In her mind, she kept telling herself that they were all lies, but her heart wasn't listening.

"Why are you telling me all this? What's your purpose in saying all that?" Aya asked him quietly, lacking the confidence like always. "You're just saying all that because you hate him."

"No, that's not true. I'm not lying, girly." Katase stated taking a few steps toward her. "I know Rei a lot better than you do. He's not the guy you think he is. Rei Otohata really has dark and ugly past, you know. You want to hear about it?"

"No, I don't. I don't care about that. Just leave me alone." Aya turned around and was about to run away when Katase grabbed her by the hair.

"Either way, I'm going to tell you." Katase told her as he pulled her toward him. "So you better listen up."

By this time, Aya was crying her eyes. Why did it seem like everyone was against her and Rei? "Please! Just leave me alone. I don't want to hear about it!"

Katase ignored her. "Once upon a time there was a bastard named Rei Otohata. The whole world hated his ass so he ran away from his home and decided to live on the streets with his awesome gangster friend, Kazuki Katase. They would have a great time together. Smoking, drinking, drugs, girls, parties, jail, skipping school, more girls. You know what I mean, right?"

Tears continued to stream down Aya's face as a response.

"Anyways, they did everything together. They had pretty good life. But then, that Rei bastard betrayed Kazuki. He did something that shouldn't have. He did something that made Kazuki very very mad. Do you wanna hear about it?"

Aya shook her head, but Katase grabbed it still for her.

"Okay, okay. I'll tell you. I know you want to hear all the details, but that would just take too long." Katase pulled her closer and until Aya could feel his breath on her ears.

Aya looked around, but she was so frighten that she couldn't scream for help. She was crying so much that her vision was starting to get blurry. Her heart was throbbing so loudly that it was almost about to pop out of her chest. She wanted to run away. She wanted her friends. She just couldn't take it anymore.

"Do you want to know what Rei Otohata did to his friend Kazuki?" He asked her again a bit more seriously.

Aya slowly shook her head as her trembling hands tried to push Kazuki away. "No more please. Just stop." She pleaded with agony. "I don't want to know. Just leave me alone, please."

"Rei Otohata," Katase began. "Rei Otohata killed my girlfriend."

...


	15. Confrontation

_**Gals!**_

**Opposite Attractions**

**Chapter 15 – Confrontation**

Nothing could relax Aya after what Katase had told her. His dark words still echoed through her head. Aya didn't know what to do to get them out of her mind. If she didn't do something, she would go insane.

Aya stopped brushing her hair to wipe the newly shed tears off her cheeks. Not even the shower she had taken calmed her. She was so frighten. What if what Katase told her was true? That would be a very good reason for him to hate Rei to death. Aya placed her brush next to the sink and stared at herself in the mirror. There was no way she was about to believe that Rei had done something like that. He didn't seem like that type person.

Aya hoped that everything Katase said were nothing but lies. After all, Katase did hate Rei so much that he was capable of doing anything to destroy him. That had to be it. Aya sighed as her heart continue to ache. She couldn't go on like that. As long as the doubt remained inside her, she would never be able to look at Rei straight in the eyes.

"Damn," Aya cursed under her breath as she bursted to tears. She fell to her knees and cover her face with her hands. "What am I suppose to do?"

She kept asking herself that question over and over. What was she suppose do? She couldn't just go school tomorrow and act like nothing had happened. She would probably start crying if she would come across Rei. There was no way she could pretend that nothing was wrong. She wouldn't be able to paint a fake smile on her face. Not this time. This time, she was really dying on the inside.

Forcing her legs to stand up, Aya grabbed the bathroom counter top to lift herself up. Everything that had happened to her had left her without strength, physically and mentally. A part of her just wanted to runaway from everything, but Aya knew that running away wouldn't solve anything. She had to come face to face with her problems.

That's when she realized something. She wouldn't be able to move forward if she didn't ask Rei about this. The chances were slim that he would tell her the entire story, but she was sure that if she asked him, he might be able to clarify some things. Maybe what Kazuki told her wasn't true. She would never find out unless she asked Rei. She needed to hear his side of the story before judging him. She couldn't let Kazuki's story blind her and make her weak. There was a chance that he was lying.

Aya quickly stood up and ran out of the bathroom. There was no way she was going to wait until tomorrow. She had to ask him now.

Once in her room, Aya looked around, trying to look for her shoes. She was so nervous, though, that she couldn't find her shoes anywhere. Aya desperately went around in circles, looking all over until she found some slippers that were sticking out from under her bed. She grabbed them and placed them on her feet.

There was no time to waste. If she hesitated even for a second, she could change her mind and Aya didn't want that. This would be the first time in her life that would act on impulse. Then again, if it had to do with Rei, she willing to do anything on impulse.

Aya ran out her room and dashed downstairs. She recklessly looked around for her keys. For some reason, she couldn't remember where she had left them after she had gotten home from school. Aya scattered the mail that laid on the counter, looked all over the furniture until she found them in her school bag.

Walking toward the door, Aya realized that she was in her pajamas. She shook her violently as her hand headed for the door knob. That didn't matter. She had to get to Rei before she came back to her senses.

"Dylan," Aya yelled. "I'll be right back!"

Aya unlocked her door and quickly rushed it open only to find someone walking toward the doorway. For a minute, Aya thought it was Rei since the night's darkness made it hard for her to see. Then, after a couple of seconds, Aya realized that the person coming toward her house was her mother. Aya's eyes widen and just as she was about to walk outside, her mother greeted her.

"Hello, Aya, dear. Thanks for opening the door for me." Her mother smiled at her before looking up at the sky. "C'mon, sweetie. Let's go inside. This weather isn't going to get any better. I hear there's a storm coming."

Usually, seeing her mother would bring Aya happiness and relief. It would be such comfort to know that her mother had actually bothered to come and spend time with her. This time, though, Aya's feelings weren't like that at all. Instead of feeling happiness to see her mother, Aya felt rage and anger inside her. Aya didn't even though why she had bothered coming home. She probably just came to torment more than she already was.

"Work has been so overwhelming lately." Aya's mother said, taking a step toward Aya. "Let's go inside. I'm so ready to finally sleep in my own bed."

Aya's mother grabbed her arm lightly so they could walk in together. Before she could even take a step forward, Aya pulled her arm away from her mother like if she didn't want any contact with her. Aya's mother looked at her with a puzzled look, wondering what's wrong with her. "Aya, dear. Are you okay?"

She was about to grab Aya's hand, but Aya pulled it away from her reach. Aya looked up at her and she could tell that her mother was starting to get a little ticked off by her attitude.

"Thanks, mother. Thank you for coming after leaving me here all alone." Aya told her stiffly, but sarcastically. She hoped her mother could sense her pain in her voice. "I really appreciate you coming home. I really do."

"Aya, honey? What's wrong? You don't seem like yourself." Aya's mother commented as she looked at her with concerned eyes.

Shaking her head, Aya looked away. "Nothing's wrong. I'm fine." Aya paused and looked at the night sky. She couldn't stay with her mother even if she wanted to. She had to go with Rei. She had find out the truth. "I'm sorry, mother. I have to go. I can't stay here and talk to you about my problems."

Aya was about to leave when her mother grabbed her arm tightly and pulled her inside the house. Aya, a bit mad and frustrated, looked at her mother as she closed the door. Aya tried to get to the door, but her mother blocked her way.

"Where in the world do you think you're going? Do you know how late it is?" Aya's mother exclaimed furiously. "I'm not letting you go out this late. Whatever you have to do can wait till tomorrow. If I let you wonder the streets, who knows what might happen."

"I didn't know you cared about me that much." Aya said under her breath. Her tears easily started to fall. She had been crying all afternoon and she was surprised to see how much sadness she still carried inside her. "I don't care what you say, though. I'm leaving. I'm not going to let you stop me."

Her mother stomped her foot as she dropped her bag on the floor. "Aya Hoshino! You better listen to me. I don't know where you are going, but I'm not going to let you! Do you see what time it is?" Aya's mother placed her watch on Aya's face. "It's about to be midnight! There is no way I'm letting you go out this late! Do you understand?"

"No! I'm not going to listen to you! Not this time." Aya continued to argue while her tears streamed down her face. "Why are you so worried about me now? You've never cared about me before. You have no idea what I've been going through! Don't come to me acting like you're that protective mother! You're not like that anymore! You don't care about me ever since my brother-"

"Don't you dare speak back to your mother in that tone, young lady! You can't possibly understand the feelings of a mother! You don't understand a thing! I do care about you because you're my daughter and I love you! You're very important yo me! That's why I don't want you out in the streets at this time! You have to understand that!" Aya could tell her mother was running out patience.

"The only thing that I don't understand is you. You say you love, but I know that it isn't true. The only one you truly loved was my brother! He was perfect. He did everything your way. He was your pride and joy. You would always continuously brag about him. You wanted to yell to the world that you had the honor of giving birth to the perfect son!" Aya, out of breath, closed her eyes sadly. "That's why you hate to admit that in the end he-"

"Don't say it! Please! Don't say it!" Aya's mother placed her hands over her ears and dropped herself to her knees, crying loudly. "Don't ever say that! Don't ever say that again! Do you hear me! Don't! Don't! Don't! I can't bear it!"

Aya wasn't surprised by her mother's reaction. She probably hadn't thought of that incident ever since it happened. It was one of those things that you just want to erase from your mind so you can move on. That's why Aya knew that was the main reason her mother and father buried themselves with their work. They didn't want to think of her brother. They occupied themselves with loads and loads of work to keep their mind of that topic. Aya knew that deep in her heart her mother refused to believe what had happened. That's why her parents would spend their days at work trying to forget her brother, but sadly, in the process, they had also forgotten about her.

"I'm sorry, mother. I didn't mean to cause you so much pain." Aya told her in her sweet sincere voice. "But, I can't listen to you right now. There's something I have to do. If I don't do it, then I might lose something that is very precious to me."

Aya's mother looked up at her from the floor. Tears flowing from her eyes.

"I don't want to be like you." Aya continued, her tears returning. "I don't want to run and try to forget. Not anymore. That's what makes me weak. I can't. Not anymore."

Before her mother could speak again, Aya ran to the door and out the house. Tears flowing nonstop from her eyes. For the fist time in her life, she had finally told her mother what she really she felt. She finally let out everything that was eating her up inside. Even though she felt guilty for making her mother cry, Aya felt that what she said to her was necessary.

Aya ran toward the gate and just before she was about to run down the sidewalk, she heard mother yelling at her to come back. Aya, of course, didn't listen. Her mother wouldn't understand if she told her what was going on with her. Without looking back at her mother, Aya ran across the street. Pretty soon the rain started falling, but that didn't stop Aya. The only thing on her mind in that moment was Rei. She had to see Rei.

As she ran, Aya got ready for the real confrontation.

…

The rain was falling down hard when Aya had finally arrived. She stood in front of Rei's apartment. She hesitated to knock. She had been standing in front of his door for quite a while, scared. She was afraid of what might come out of this. Everything could change from this point on.

Taking a deep breath, Aya gathered her courage and slowly knocked on his door. Aya wondered if he was even home. The apartment seemed so dark and empty. Aya looked around before giving Rei's door another faint knock. She hoped that Rei was home. It would be horrible if he wasn't. She even got in a fight with her mother just to come and see him.

Sighing, Aya waited patiently for someone to open the door. While waiting, Aya looked up at the dark rainy sky. She could feel the cold drops of rain soaking her skin. Now, she didn't know if it was the rain or her tears that were running down her cheeks.

Aya suddenly knocked loudly again, a bit more desperately. She couldn't take the pain that was going on inside her. Her mother and then the memory of her brother made her just feel worse. It was just too much to bare. She needed someone to talk to about this mess.

"Rei," Aya silently whispered out to him. "Please, open the door."

After waiting for a few more seconds, Aya finally decided to leave. It had become clear to her that either Rei wasn't home or that he didn't want to open the door for her. That idea made Aya feel devastated. It made her feel unwanted and hopeless. Just when she was about to head home, Aya heard someone open the door.

She looked up with relief when she saw Rei opening the door.

"Aya?" Rei said with surprise after making eye contact with her. Aya blushed, looking away as she wiped her tears. "What are you doing here?"

Aya looked at Rei. His hair was a mess and his clothes looked really sloppy. She quickly figured that she had waken him up with her knocking. She looked down while she covered her face with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry, Otohata-kun. I didn't mean to bother you so late at night, it's just that I needed to talk to you. I'm so sorry."

They stood in silent for a little bit. The rain drops the only thing that filled the silence. Aya wiped her face with her sleeve. "I guess I should go. I'm very sorry for bothering you. I'll talk to you tomorrow, instead."

"Are you stupid?" Rei asked her, grabbing her hand to prevent her from leaving. "I'm not gonna let you leave after you came all the way over here. Also, you're soaking wet. You're gonna get sick again if you don't dry off."

Aya blushed as Rei gently took her inside. Biting her lip, Aya looked up at Rei while he closed the door. As they walked inside his apartment, Rei never let go of her hand. He slowly walked over to couch and let her sit down. He stared at her for a bit before sighing and sitting down next to her. "So," He began. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong with you? What's bothering you this time?"

Aya remained silent as she tried to warm herself up with her hands. She didn't know what to say to him. She felt so stupid coming all the way to Rei's home only to stay silent. Everything she did suddenly seemed so pointless. After coming with that conclusion, Aya couldn't stop a few tears from escaping. Of course, she quickly wiped them away.

Instead of receiving an insult, Aya heard Rei quietly sigh, but she was more surprised to feel him gently pat her on the head. Aya could feel her cheeks warming up despite her body being as cold as ice.

He was so nice to her sometimes that Aya couldn't believe that he was the same Rei Otohata she had bumped into the day that they first met. That was the reason why Aya couldn't believe the words that came out Katase's mouth. They were just too frightening. Aya didn't want Katase's story to be true. She didn't.

"Damn," Rei suddenly let out as he felt Aya's hands. "You're so cold. It must be freezing out there. What the hell were you thinking? Running out in the rain again like that? Do you ever think at all?"

Blushing, Aya looked down at her feet before pulling her hands away from Rei. "I'm sorry."

"Whatever." Rei told her under his breath as he stood up. "Either way, I'm gonna go get you something so you can dry off. Maybe a towel or something."

Aya looked up at him as she watched him walk away. How was she suppose to come out of the blue and ask him about his past? There was no way he would tell her anything. In fact, now that she thought about, Aya hardly knew anything about his past. She remember asking him once about his family and all he said was that he didn't have anyone. Then, he had also told her that the only time he would see his dad was when he would bail him out of jail. Aya wondered what all that meant.

"Here," Aya looked up and saw Rei handing her something.

Looking at it carefully, Aya gently grabbed it from his hands. She unwrapped it to find out that Rei hand given her a towel and a shirt. Blushing again, Aya looked at the shirt carefully and realized that it was his.

"Is this for me?" Aya asked even though she kind of already knew.

"Yeah," Rei replied bluntly. "You don't have to wear it. I just figured that you might at least want to change tops."

Aya smiled at him before slowly standing up. He was so thoughtful that it made her feel happy. "Yes. I would like that. Thank you very much. I'm sorry again for bothering you."

"Yeah, sure. It's not the first you bother me. I'm getting used to it." Rei stated sarcastically, placing one of his hands in his pockets and pointing down the hallway with the other. "Go change. Bathroom is over there."

Aya couldn't help, but smile again as she carried the towel and the shirt Rei had given her, pressing them tightly against her chest. She walked over to the bathroom while Rei walked over to the kitchen.

Once in the bathroom, Aya held Rei's shirt to her lips and slowly kissed it. She let the sweet aroma of Rei fill her nostrils and her lungs. Even though it was just a shirt, Aya could feel him. It made her happy to know that she had something that belonged to him. In way, having his shirt made her feel a part of him. Aya shook her thoughts away as her head slowly became filled with Katase's words. She wished she could just get that off her mind for at least a moment.

She took off her wet pajama shirt and placed it on the bathroom counter. Then she slowly placed Rei's shirt on her body. It was really big on her, but at least she felt a bit warmer. Aya then grabbed the towel and began to dry her hair since it was still pretty wet. Her pajama pants were wet too, but they weren't as soaked as her shirt had been.

After feeling a bit more dry, Aya walked out the bathroom, down the small hallway and back into the living. She sat down in the couch and tried to relax herself. She was looking around when the reason of her being there popped into her head. She had to ask Rei about his past no matter what. That was purpose for her being there. She couldn't leave until she heard what Rei had to say about Katase's story.

"So how are you feeling now?" Rei asked as he sat down next her again. This time, though, he had a mug in his hand. "Here. I made some tea for you."

"Oh." Aya said as she took the warm cup in her hands. She smiled before taking a sip. By the taste, she could tell that it was green tea. Aya could feel tea warming up her body and helping her relax a bit. "Thank you so much. It's good."

"Anything to make you stop crying." Rei said seriously, but smirked when he saw Aya pout. "I'm just playing, obviously. It'll warm you right up."

Aya nodded as she placed the cup on her lap. She felt much better now that she had Rei next to her. Everything would seem at ease when she was with him. All her problems would seem so insignificant when she was with him. That's why it scared her to know if what Katase said was true. Should she just forget about it and move on? Should she ask Rei about? She didn't know what to do.

"Okay, so are you going to tell me what's up?" Rei suddenly asked her. "You look worried about something."

Aya nodded. She took a deep long breath while gathering her courage and calming her nerves. "There is something I wanted to ask you about, Rei. There's something that I want to know."

"Okay. So what is it?" Rei asked, taking the cup from Aya's hands and placing it on the floor. Aya wondered if he could tell that her hands were trembling. Her hands weren't trembling because they were cold. They were trembling because she was scared.

"Hey, are you going to tell me or not?" Rei asked a bit impatiently. "Just say it. It must be important if you came all this way."

Aya's body shifted a little. Her eyes suddenly became focused on her knees and her back slumped forward. She made sure her bangs covered her eyes since the least thing she wanted was to meet Rei's eyes. Aya's small trembling hands slowly curled themselves into fists. Her heart pounded loudly and her breathing started to get out of control.

"Today, when I was going home, I ran into Kazuki Katase." Aya said slowly. Of course, that immediately caught Rei's full attention. "He stopped me. He and his friends stopped me."

"Aya! What did they do to you?" Rei suddenly exclaimed, grabbing her shoulders and making her sit up straight. "If they did something to you, I swear I'll kill them!"

Aya shook her head slowly. She shifted her eyes away before speaking again. "No, they didn't do anything to me. Well, at least not physically "

Suddenly, Aya felt Rei wrap his arms around her shoulders. She felt him pull her towards him and before she knew it, her back was leaning against Rei's chest. His breath slowly hitting the back of her neck as he pulled closer and tighter. Aya could feel her cheeks turning hot and red. She looked up only to feel Rei's head leaning against her hair. She could feel his hands holding tightly in such a protective manner that it made Aya cry. How could this wonderful person be the guy that Katase said he was? It was impossible for her to believe that. Especially now, when he was hugging her very sincerely.

"Aya, what did those jerks do to you? What did they say to you?" Rei asked, concern spilling from his voice.

"Katase. He told me some things about you." Aya answered quietly.

Rei suddenly let her go and turned his body back around. He stiffen while he took a deep breath. Aya sat up straight, looking at him carefully. He seemed so worried to Aya. Placing her feet on the couch, Aya hugged her legs as she placed her head on top of her knees.

They remained in silent for a minute or so. The only thing that could be heard was the rain that was still dripping from the sky and the faint sound of thunder. Aya sighed, looking down at the floor, wondering what could possibly be going on through Rei's mind.

"Rei?" She called out to him.

"What kind of things did he tell you about me?" Rei asked her, but this time, he didn't bother looking at her. He kept his eyes focused on the white walls.

Aya stiffened before lifting her head to look at him more directly. "Well, he wasn't very specific, but he made his point very clear." Aya began, tears running once again down her face. By this time, Aya thought her eyes were swollen enough to scare little kids. "He said that you ran away from home. He said that you two used to be friends and that you two would do many _things_ together.'

"I see." Rei stated. "Is that all?"

Aya shook her head. Now, she was really starting to feel scared since Rei hadn't denied anything that she had said. "No, that's not all he said." Aya gulped. She placed her head on her knees and tightly closed her eyes since she didn't know how Rei would react with her next words. "He also said that you killed his girlfriend."

Once again, more silence filled the room and it stayed that way for the next few minutes. Aya stayed quiet and waited for Rei to say something.

"Is that all?" Rei asked her again. Aya nodded as she hugged her legs tighter. "I see." Rei took a long pause before closing his eyes. Then, he looked at her. "Did you believe him?"

"If I would have believed him, I wouldn't be here telling you this. I wouldn't be here with you if I would've believed him." Aya told him quietly.

There were times that Rei couldn't believe what an amazing girl Aya really was. He looked at her and couldn't help, but give her a warm and confronting smile. It was the least he could do after everything that she had gone through because of him. She was so brave to put up with all this, but what really amazed him the most was the fact that she didn't believe what Katase had said. He was so glad that he had met a girl like her.

"That's good to hear then." Rei told her, making her look up surprised and a bit shocked. Then Aya saw Rei smile faintly before he looked down at the floor. "Thanks."

"Thanks? For what?" Aya asked a bit confused. She shifted her body so that she was sitting on top her knees and in Rei's direction. She shoved her somewhat wet hair from her face. "What do you mean by that, Rei?"

"It's nothing." Rei stated as he stood up. Of course, Aya's eyes followed him. "I'm just glad that you didn't believe that bastard. You should never believe anything that comes out of his mouth."

Aya sighed as she looked at him carefully. Was that all he was going to say to her? "Rei, I want you tell me about it, though. I want to know about what happened between you two. Was Kazuki saying the truth? Were you two really friends before? Why did he say that you killed his girlfriend?"

"Look, Aya." Rei snapped at her. "I didn't kill her."

Aya's eyes widen at Rei's serious voice.

"Do you believe me?"

She smiled before giving him a nod. Of course, she believed him. Even if it wasn't true, Aya would believe him because she wanted to believe it.

"If you believe me, then there's is nothing more to talk about." Rei told her, placing his hands in his pockets.

Aya gasped as she clenched her fists. Her tears were slowly starting to dry. "What do mean there's nothing more to talk about? There's still plenty of things I want to know! I want to know if everything else that Katase said was true! You can't just drop the conversation like that! I came all this way to talk to you about it! Geez!"

"Was that all that was bothering you?" Rei asked as he raised his eyebrow and turned to look at her.

"Well, yeah, mostly." Aya admitted. Of course, she wasn't about to tell him that she had gotten into a fight with her mother and that her brother's memory was burning her. If she told him that, then he would want her to talk about it and Aya didn't want to focus on that. She wanted to talk to Rei about his past with Kazuki Katase.

"If that's all that was bothering you, then," Suddenly Rei picked Aya from the sofa and carried her bridal style in his arms. Then he smirked at her. "Let's go to my room."

That caused Aya to panic and blush madly. She tried to push herself away from him, but it was useless. He was too strong for her and he grabbing her with such a tight grip. Despite that, she could feel Rei's warmth traveling through out her body. "Rei! What are you doing! Stop it! You don't know what you're saying! You're crazy!"

"Yeah, I am. Crazy for you."

"Rei! Don't say things like that." Aya told him as she pouted and looked away from him. There he went again, teasing and making fun of her. "If you're not going to talk to me about you and Kazuki, then I'm going home. There's no point in staying here."

"I already told you. I'm not letting you leave." Rei told her as he started to walk toward his room. "It's late. Do you know the weirdos that are out waiting for a stupid girl like you to walk by?"

Aya crossed her hands as she looked up at Rei. In that moment, she was considering him to be one of those weirdos. "Yeah, right. Listen, I really should get going. If you're so worried about me, then you can walk me home like you usually do."

"I don't feel like it." Rei told her bluntly. "You disturbed my sleep, remember? I let you borrow my shirt and my towel. I gave you my comfort. And you still want me to walk you home? I don't think so."

"You are really crazy. You make it sound so bad. Next time I need help, I won't ask for yours if that's the way you're going to be." Aya stated, trying to sound like she was mad, but in all reality she really wanted to laugh. The things Rei said were just so dumb.

"Yeah, right. You always come to me."

Rei opened the door with his foot and walked inside to his dark room. Aya leaned her head against his chest as she looked around. She couldn't really see anything. The only time she would see something would be thanks to the lighting. The only thing Aya could make out was the big bed that was against the wall with a clothes dresser across from it. Aya gulped as she felt Rei place her gently on the bed.

Then before she knew it, Rei got on top of her, pinning her hands down to the mattress. Blushing madly, Aya's heart started pounding loudly as she felt Rei's face getting closer to her. She could feel his breath on her skin and she was sure he feel hers. Her lips started to quiver, not with fear, but with some sort of excitement. Aya gulped as she felt Rei caress her cheeks slowly. With his finger, Rei began to trace the outline of her lower lip. Then, he slowly leaned closer to her. Expecting something, Aya slowly closed her eyes only to feel Rei kiss her gently on her forehead.

"C'mon, stupid." Rei suddenly said, startling her as he got of her. "It's time for sleep. I was sleeping just fine until you got here."

A bit flustered Aya sat up. "Well, excuse me. Next time I won't come to you if I need help."

"Yeah, sure." Rei grabbed the bed sheets and moved them to the side. Then he patted the pillows loudly. "You can sleep on that side, against the wall. Don't want you falling down."

Aya smiled and moved to spot where Rei indicated her. After she had laid down, Aya unexpectedly felt Rei cover her up with the blanket. She smiled and covered herself with the blanket up to her nose. The blankets smelled like Rei and Aya really like that.

Shortly after, Rei followed her and laid on the bed right next to her. Aya found it a bit awkward at first, but then she remembered that it wasn't the first time they would sleep together. Smiling to herself, Aya turned over to look at Rei. He had his hands under his head, his body facing directly upward. He didn't look to happy, but Aya knew that he was sleeping like to make her feel comfortable.

"Rei?" Aya suddenly said. Her mouth was apparently speaking without permission.

"What is it?" Rei asked her annoyingly.

"Good-night." Aya told him sweetly as she gathered up her courage to give him a peck on the cheek. Then, with a blushing face, she quickly buried her nose under the blanket.

Even though it was dark, Aya could tell Rei was smiling.

"Good-night, Aya."

...


	16. Craziness

**Gals!**

_Hello, everyone! I've been updating often and I'm very happy about that. I finally returned to do what I love most. Writing is really a wonderful passion to have. To bad everyone tells me that writing for career would be very difficult. *sigh*_

_I have no idea what I want study in college. As of right now, I'm striving to be Forensic Psychologist, but that might change by tomorrow. *another sigh*_

_Well, whatever. Here is chapter 16. At first, I though this chapter was kind of unnecessary, but now that I think about, it establishes good ground for the future chapters! ;) _

_A quick thanks for all the people that are reading and reviewing! Thanks lots!_

* * *

><p><strong>Opposite Attractions<strong>

**Chapter 16 – Craziness**

Aya looked around as she stood in front of her house. She didn't know what time it was, but she was almost certain that it was almost morning. She looked at her house and wondered why all the lights were on. Sighing, Aya quietly walked toward the gate door and open it. She hoped that her mother had gone to sleep.

She walked toward the door, her mind thinking about Rei. After all the worrying she had done, Rei didn't tell her anything in detail about what had happened between him and Kazuki. It was quite disappointing, but Aya decided to leave things the way they were. She didn't want to torment Rei with something that couldn't be changed.

A small smile suddenly appeared on her face. She and Rei had slept together again. That thought sent Aya's face to blush madly. It sounded so wrong. Aya placed her hand over her mouth as a small giggle escaped from her lips. She had left Rei's apartment without telling him. He would probably get mad at her for leaving especially when it was still dark outside. At first, Aya was hesitant about leaving, but she had to get ready for school and maybe apologize to her mom before she left to work. She needed to say sorry for making her cry.

When Aya stood in front of the door, Aya realized that it was slightly opened. Surprised, Aya pushed it and sure enough, it opened a bit wider. Aya gulped as she pushed the door further open. She peaked her head and looked inside before walking in.

The entire place was lit up. All the lights were turned on. Wondering why, Aya slowly walked inside. When she closed the door, she heard someone from the living room gasp. Aya took a few steps forward before coming face to face with her mother.

"Aya! Oh, Aya, dear! You're home!" Her mother hollered. She ran towards her and gave her a tight hug. She was squeezing her so tightly that Aya was having trouble breathing. "I was so worried about you! I was going crazy!"

"Yeah," Aya managed to say, pulling her mother away from her. After catching her breath, Aya looked down a bit embarrassed. "I'm sorry about what happened. I didn't mean to make you cry. I'm very sorry."

Her mother nodded. A scowl suddenly appearing in her face. "Yes! You should be! Do you know how worried we were about you?"

"We?" Aya asked a bit confused. Could it be that her father was here too? "What do you mean by 'we'? Who else is here?"

"Oh, Aya! I was so desperate to find you that I didn't know what I was thinking. I had no idea where you had gone or why you left. Then I got even more worried when I saw that you had left your cellphone! I called your friends, hoping you'd be there or that they might know where you'd be at. Of course, they had no clue where you were, so we all decided to look for you together. But, you were no where to be found." Her mother told her as she walked into the kitchen.

"Mother! You didn't have to call my friends! I knew what I was doing! I'm not a child anymore. And besides, I can defend myself just so you know." Aya told her even though she knew that wasn't entirely true. "You didn't have to make a big deal about this."

"Aya, do you know the time it was when you ran out! It was about to be midnight!" Her mother exclaimed from the kitchen. Aya could hear a kettle whistling and quickly guessed that her mother was either making tea or coffee. "And do you know what time it is now?"

"Um, not really." Aya admitted.

"It's about to be 6 in the morning! Do you know all the things that have crossed my mind?" Aya's mother walked over to her again and together, they started walking toward the living room. "There was even a point were I thought I had lost you. That feeling was driving me insane. If you didn't show up by the time school started I was going to call the police!"

Aya looked down and mumbled another apology. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"Ayyyaaa!"

To her surprise, Aya found Miyu, Ran, and Yuuya sitting in her living room. Miyu and Yuuya looked relieved to see her, but Ran was steaming with anger. They looked tired, but not entirely exhausted. Aya wondered at what time her brilliant mother had called them. Then she wondered where in the world she had gotten their phone numbers from.

"Hey, guys." Aya told them with a smile, waving to them before she bowed lightly. "I'm sorry for making you guys worry. My mother shouldn't have bothered you. I'm very sorry."

Ran stood up angrily and ran towards her. She pretended to choke her as she yelled everything that was in her mind. "Aya Hoshino! Do you know how worried we were about you? What do expect us to think when your mother calls us at 3 am telling us that you ran out the house! She was in tears! Desperate! I thought something bad had happened to you! We ran all around Shibuya, looking for your ass! Then you come here with a smile on your face like nothing happened! What the hell were you thinking! Running out like that! If you do that again, I'll kill you! Do you hear me! I'll kill you!"

Aya laughed nervously. She pulled Ran's hands from her throat and gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. "I'm very sorry, Ran. Please forgive me. I promise to never do that again. Okay? Can you forgive me?"

Ran snorted, crossing her hands and turning away from her. Miyu, though, smiled sweetly while she looked at her from where she was sitting. "Miyu will forgive you, if you promise her to tell her everything that is going on with you. You have to tell her what you were doing out so late."

Aya sighed. She should have known that they were going to ask about it. Without objecting, Aya nodded and promised to tell her everything. Miyu giggled and walked over to Ran.

"C'mon, Ran. Don't be like that." Miyu pleaded as she began to poke Ran in the cheek with her finger. "You can't be mad at her forever. Also, she said she was sorry and that she won't ever do it again. Shouldn't that be enough for you?"

Ran looked at her, but before setting her pride aside and accepting her apology, she playfully stuck out her tongue. "Fine! Fine! I forgive you! If you run away from home one more time, I'll kill you! You can't drive us crazy like that again! Oh, and remember to carry your phone at all times! At all times!"

"Yes, Ran!" Aya smiled, unable to contain her happiness inside her chest.

Once again, Aya had totally forgotten that Yuuya was there too. She only noticed him when she saw him walk toward her. He had been so quiet and Aya couldn't really blame him. She had rejected him and he probably hated her. Thanks to her mother, he was probably dragged out of the bed by Ran to look for her. Aya took her eyes away from him when he stood a few feet away from her.

"Aya?" He said to her, taking another step and causing Aya to take a step back. "Where were you? Where did you go? I was so worried about you."

Everyone in the room stood silent. They kept their eyes on Yuuya who was on the verge of showing all his emotions to Aya. Not knowing what to do or say, Aya gulped and looked down at the floor, nervous as ever. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you."

Unexpectedly, Yuuya pulled Aya into his arms, giving her a tight protective hug. He leaned his head on her shoulder while Aya stood as still as she could her eyes wide with surprise. She didn't hug him back because she could feel everyone staring at her. She could hear Ran and Miyu snickering with each other. Aya blushed when she suddenly felt Yuuya grab her shoulders, jerking furiously away from her. Aya, a bit shocked and startled, looked at him. "Yuuya?"

He didn't respond. He stood still, looking at her in a daze. He looked so lost in thought that Aya started to get a bit worried. She called his name again, but she received no response. "Yuuya? What's wrong with you?"

"Your shirt. It's a guy's shirt!" Yuuya scolded angerly as he pointed at the shirt she was wearing, taking a step back. "What the hell?"

Aya gasped. Her head quickly looked down. That's when she realized that she was still wearing Rei's shirt. She had forgotten to take it off. Her face flushed a deep shade of red before turning around and facing the wall. She felt so emberrassed. She had completely forgotten to take off Rei's shirt before leaving. Then, to make things worse, she had forgotten her own pajama shirt at his apartment. What were friends going to think about her now?

"Ayyyaaa!" Aya heard Ran running toward her again. She grabbed her, turned her around, and pretended to choke her again. "What the hell is the meaning of this! Why do you have a guy's shirt on? Why? What were you doing with this guy? Aya! You have some explaining to do! If I find out that you gave yourself to some guy, I'll kill you! Do hear me! I'll kill you! I can't believe you would do something like that! You did it before me!"

"Ran! Be quiet!" Aya excliamed, placing her hands over her mouth. Her face was really red now. To make things worse, she could feel glares coming from her mother and from Yuuya. "I didn't do anyhting! So don't jump yourself to wild conclusions like that!" Aya moved in closer to her. "I haven't done anything. Don't get-"

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Ran hollered, interrupting her at mid sentence.

Ran leaned her face toward Aya's shirt and began sniffing it. Blushing, Aya rolled her eyes. "Ran! Waht are you doing?"

"I know this smell. I've smelled it before." Ran stood up straight and placed her finger over her chin. Aya could tell that she was thinking about something. Suddenly, her face lit up and turned at Aya with a sharp look on her face. "I know! I knew I've smelled something like that before! That's Rei Otohata's shirt! It smells just like him!"

What was she? Some kind of dog? How in the world did she figure that out just by smelling it? Aya found that a bit strange, but quickly shook it off. Now, that the truth was out, what was she suppose to do? She couldn't deny it. At least not to Ran.

"It is Rei's isn't it!" Ran exclaimed, surprised. "Here I was, just playing around to see your reaction. But it's true! Were you with Rei! What were you doing with him? I didn't know that you had really been with him! It was just a guess! I can't believe this!"

"Ran! Please!" Aya pleaded her to be quiet, but her mother began to act 'motherly' again.

"Aya, what happened to your other shirt? I remember very clearly that you weren't wearing that one when you left. Why on earth are you wearing a male's shirt? Tell me now!" Her mother ordered as Aya flinched taking a step back.

"Don't worry, Ma'am!" Ran hollered, grabbing Aya's hand. "I'll make her spit out the truth!" She pulled her out of the living room and went running upstairs to her room.

Aya's mother sighed as she watched the girls run upstairs. She couldn't believe everything that was going on. She didn't know that Aya had turned into such a disobdient girl. She wondered if she had been the cause of that. Maybe, her daughter was just going through one of those rebellious phases that all teenagers went through. Still, she would have to take some intiative to make Aya go back down the right path. She couldn't let Aya walk the same foot steps her brother had.

"Excuse me, Ms. Hoshino. I'll be going upstairs with them." Miyu stated, bowing lightly in front of her before going upstairs.

Aya's mother nodded. "Go ahead. And please tell Aya that me and her are going to have a long talk. I'm not through with her yet."

"Yes, ma'am." Miyu replied politely. She gave Yuuya a quick glance before she headed toward the staircase. He looked left out and a bit depressed. Miyu couldn't really blame him. It had always been obivious to Miyu that he liked Aya even though he claimed to like Ran. It must a been a real shock to figure out that Aya had spent all night with another guy. Sighing, Miyu smiled to herself as she went upstairs.

"Ugh." Aya's mother complained, dropping herself on the sofa. "What a crazy night." She looked over at Yuuya and smiled. "I'm very sorry for all the trouble my daughter caused you and I apoligize for calling you out of bed. I must have scared you."

"Yeah, you kind of did." Yuuya admitted with a crooked smile. He scratched the back of head with emberrassment. "I was kind of surprised to see Aya calling me at 3 in the morning, but then when I heard it was you, I got a bit worried."

"I can tell you care a lot about her." Aya's mother stated as she sat up straight, placing her head on top of her hands. "I can see that I was very wrong. I missjudged you all terribly. Especially Ran Kotobuki. I thought you guys were a bad influence for my daughter, but I can clearly see that I was mistaken. You all care about her very much."

"Yes, we do." Yuuya said quietly.

"So tell me then. Who is this Rei Otohata Ran was talking about?" Aya's mother asked him. "I've never heard Aya mention his name before."

"I would love to talk about him, but I have to get home. I have to get ready for school and all." He looked at his watch that was wrapped around his wrist. "It's already past six."

"Oh, yes. You're right." Aya's mother said, standing up from the sofa to grab her phone that was sitting on top of a small table. "I have to make a few phone calls."

Yuuya nodded as he headed toward the door. Aya's mother smiled at him and shook his hand warmly. She told him that she was glad Aya had such great friends like him. Yuuya smiled back, but his heart wasn't smiling at all. In fact, it was broken into many little pieces because Aya was clearly beyond his reach. He didn't know what had sent Aya running out to Rei in the middle of the night and he didn't want to know about it.

It really hurt him. Aya had no idea how much that had hurt him. He wanted to yell at her. He wanted to scream at her why she had been with Rei and not him. He wanted to ask her why she had choosen Rei and not him. It made him mad to know that Aya had fallen for a crazy guy like Rei. He didn't deserve her. Rei didn't deserve a sweet shy girl like Aya. She was way too good for him. The only thing Aya was going to get from that guy was pain and trouble.

Sighing, Yuuya said good-bye to Aya's mother as he grabbed the door knob. There was nothing he could do to change Aya's mind. His emotions weren't getting through to her. All his life he had been saying that he loved Ran. He couldn't believe how stupid he was. Ran had been blocking his view from the girl he really liked. Tatsuki-chii made him realize that. Seeing him and Ran together pained him at first, but Aya comforted him, making him sort out his feelings. Yuuya had liked Ran, but it was Aya who he was in love with.

Yuuya opened the door and walked outside. He could see the sun that was slowly starting to raise. He rubbed his eyes and yawned lazily. He wondered how he was going to make it through school with only three hours of sleep.

Meanwhile, Aya was getting an intense interrogation from Ran. She had Aya sitting on top of her bed, still and quietly. Aya bit her lower lip and looked around. She suddenly spotted Dylan sleeping on the side of the bed. He looked so cute and peaceful. Aya sighed before she felt Ran's glare on her. She had already received a ton of questions from Ran and now Ran was giving her a speech about abstinence.

"Ran! Can you please let me talk? You haven't let me explained myself!" Aya stammered a bit frustrated. "How is this girl talk when you're the only one that's talking?"

"Okay. Okay. Fine!" Ran exclaimed as she sat next to her. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Before speaking, Aya noticed that Miyu was rumaging through her closet. "Miyu, what are you doing?"

"Oh, Miyu was looking to see if you had a spare uniform that she can borrow. She doesn't want to go all the way home to change. It would be such pain!" Miyu explained, popping her head from the closet with a smile. "Do you have one she can borrow?"

"Of course. They're in my dresser. On the first drawer." Aya told her sweetly. Then she looked over at Ran. "Are you going to go home and change? Or what?"

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on! Remember! You said said that you would tell us everything!" Ran recalled, placing her hands on her head.

"Yeah, you're right." Aya said quietly, her words making Ran calm down a bit.

"Ran, Miyu, I have something important to say." Aya began, a blush forming brightly on her face. "I think— I think I'm in love with Rei Otohata."

"Ohh! Yay!" Miyu jumped with joy over to her and gave her a hug. "Miyu knew it! She knew it that you liked him! This is so exciting! You finally admit that you like him! I'm so proud of you, Aya! I'm so happy for you!"

"Umm, thanks?" Aya didn't know why she was so happy. She wasn't Rei's girlfriend or anything. Well, at least not yet. She had only said her feelings. Feelings that were probably unresponded. "Please keep this a secret, okay?"

"So that's it, huh?" Ran leaned her face closer to her. "So you were with him all night, then?"

"Well, yeah." Aya answered shyly. "There was something I had to ask him and also, I had just gotten into a fight with my mom. I didn't want to be in the house with her. I was just so angry at her. Then, the memory of my brother came flowing in and I just ran out."

That's all she could tell them for now. If she would tell them that she worried that Rei had killed someone, they would quickly oppose their friendship. Then again, something that was as drastic as that could scare anybody.

"So you went to him and not with us? What's the meaning of that?" Ran asked again.

"Didn't you just hear her?" Miyu told her while playfully hitting her in the head. "She's in love with him. Of course, she would go with him. Miyu goes with Yamato all the time."

"I guess that makes sense." Ran pouted.

Aya smiled and hugged both her friends at the same time. "I couldn't have asked for better friends. I'm so glad that you guys are here. As a thank you for understanding me, I'll make you guys breakfast. I'm pretty good at it."

"For free?" Ran's eye gleamed at the thought of free food.

"Yes, Ran. For free." As soon as she said that, Ran squealed with joy while Miyu tried to calm her down. Aya laughed at her. It would be quite a treat to have her friends for breakfast. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't invited her friends over in a long time. It made her happy to know that they were willing to stay with her.

Aya walked out her room and headed downstairs when she heard her mother talking on the phone.

"I can't." Aya's mother stated seriously. "How many times do I have to repeat myself? I'm going to take a few days off from work. I've been too occupied with work to notice that my daughter is going through a rebellious phase. It's hard to admit and I know it's crazy, but I must watch her for a couple of days."

It was the least she could do for her daughter. She remebered one time Aya asking her to take a day off from work so they could spend time together. Of course, back then, she had quickly ignored her daughter's request. Now, though, she was willing to do it.

Aya heard a few beeps coming from her mother's phone. "That's that. There's another call coming in. I will talk to you later." She hung up and answered the next call. "Hello?"

Going downstairs, Aya watched her mother suddenly stiffen and her face went from rosy pink to pale. Aya wondered what was wrong with her. She walked over to her mother and quietly lifted her head. "Mother, what's wrong?"

Her mother motioned with her lips that it was her father calling. Aya raised her eyebrow. Why did her mother react that way?

"Well, thanks for answering after I called you 50 times! There's a reason why I called, so listen up. I'm only going to say this once." Her mother suddenly snapped. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm going to take a few days of work. And if you would care about out daughter, then you would do the same! Sorry to disturb you, DEAR!"

And with that, Aya's mother snapped her phone shut and looked at Aya with a smile. Aya smiled back, not daring to ask her what was wrong.

"I'm taking a few days off from work." She suddenly blurtted out.

"You are?" Aya asked her curiously.

"Yes. And you're grounded! You won't be going anywhere or be seeing anyone while I'm here! Do you understand!" Aya's mother pointed her finger at Aya, but Aya was having trouble taking her seriously.

"You're kidding, right?" Ayaasked her, but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

They looked at each other for a couple of seconds before they heard another knock which was a bit louder than the first one. Aya's mother sighed and motioned Aya to go open it. "Open it. I'm going to make breakfast for you and you friends."

Aya nodded as she walked toward the door. She opened it to see Rei standing in front of her. Aya's eyes widen. Her heart started pounding loudly. Her palms became even more sweaty. Taking a deep breath, Aya smiled at him nervously. "Hey. What are you doing here?"

"I came to get that." He said pointing at his shirt that was still on Aya. "And to give you this."

Aya looked at his hands and noticed that he was carrying a bag. She took it carefully, noticing that her pajama shirt was in there. Blushing, Aya pulled it and looked it. She was surprised to feel it dry and soft. "Did you wash it?"

"Yeah." Rei said a bit emberrassed as he placed his hand on the back of his head. "It was all wet and dirty. I couldn't give it back to you like that."

Aya nodded, sheepishly smiling to herself, placing her shirt up to her nose. It smelled so clean and so fresh. Then, she looked at Rei. "Thank you. That was really nice of you."

"Yeah, sure." Rei placed his hands in his pockets before giving Aya a mischivious smirk. "Also, I came to ask why you left without telling me!"

"Oh, so you're mad about that?" Aya asked him. She knew he was going to get mad at her. Now she kind of wished that she had told him. She was going to tell him at first, but then decided not to because he was sleeping so peaceful. How could she wake him up when he looked like angel asleep?

"Duh? I told you already." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to him. "Walking out when it's dark is dangerous. You don't know what weirdos are out in the street. Do you want to get yourself killed?"

"No! Of course, I don't." Aya blushed as she felt Rei's face getting closer to hers. "I think you're just exagerrating, Rei. Nothing is going to happen to me. As long as you're with me I'm-"

"So you're Rei Otohata?"

Aya quickly pulled her hand away from Rei and took a few steps back. Her mother was standing in the doorway, looking at Rei akwardly. She looked at him from head to toe and then turned to look at Aya. Of course, Aya quickly turned to look another way. She hoped her mother didn't emberrass her in front of him and she also hoped Rei would behave.

"Yeah," He said, placing his hands once again in his pockets and standing up straight. "And you are?"

Aya widen her eyes when she heard her mother laughing. Sighing, Aya immediately knew that their meeting could lead to mothing but trouble.

"I guess I can't blame you for not knowing!" Her mother smiled. "I know I look a bit young, but I am really Aya's mother. It's a pleasure to meet you, Rei Otohata."

"Yeah," Rei said a bit surprised. "Same here."

"So you're Aya's friend?"

"I guess you can say that."

"How long have you known each other?"

"For a while, I guess."

"Has she given you any trouble?"

"Always."

"What do you feel for her?"

"Mom!" Aya exlclaimed loudly. She shook her head and grabbed her mother's hand, ready to pull her inside the house. "Can you stop asking him that? Can't you see he's busy? He has to go home and get ready for school. He just came to drop something off."

"Oh, really. I wanted to invite him over for breakfast." Her mother commented.

"Well, he can't." Aya snapped at her, hoping that Rei would take the hint and leave. If he stayed any longer, things could get really complicated for her.

"Yes, I can." Rei suddenly blurted out with a smirk. "I would love to stay for breakfast if Aya doesn't mind."

"Oh! She doesn't mind at all! C'mon on in and make yourself at home." Her mother told him as she walked away from the door. "Breakfast will be ready in any second."

Aya's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe her mother had just invited him in. Hadn't she said a few minutes ago she was grounded? Now, she was inviting in the guy that she had ran to in the middle of the night. Aya didn't know what was wrong with her mother. Also, she also couldn't believe Rei had just accepted her offer. Aya closed her eyes as she sighed. There was nothing she could do about it now.

"Okay, thanks." Rei replied to her mother. Aya gave him a suspicious glare which sent Rei laughing a bit. He smirked at her.

"This is pay back for leaving me."He whispered in her ear, making Aya blush madly.

Somehow, she managed to live through it. Her mother made breakfast for everyone and they all sat down to eat. Aya found it extremely awkward to be eating breakfast with her mother, her friends and Rei after she had gotten used to eating by herself. Eating with them was also a bit difficult and not to mention crazy. Ran and her mother kept asking Rei very intimidating questions and Rei always found some way to emberrass her. Still, despite all that, Aya felt kind of happy.

It was good feeling to know that she wasn't alone.

...


	17. No Matter What

**Gals!**

_Hey. everyone! Sorry it took so long to update!_

_Well, my summer vaction is coming to an end. Yes, sadly! The worst part of that is that I have barely started on my summer homework! Yes, procrastination is horrible! I hate it!_

_I have to read Manfield Park and some other book, annotate them, and then write about them! I only have 3 weeks! Panicking!_

_All well. *sighs* Please enjoy Chapter 17! Reviews are welcome since they usually make me feel better. _

* * *

><p><strong>Opposite Attractions<strong>

**Chapter 17 – No Matter What**

Aya tried her best to take notes during the teacher's lesson, but she couldn't take her mind off certain things. She sighed as she closed her notebook helplessly. There was nothing she could do about it now. In a couple of minutes, school would be done for the day. She couldn't wait to get home and put all this day behind her.

"Alright, then." Nakanishi suddenly said after he had put away some his papers. He stood up straight and looked at everybody. "As you all probably know, our school trip is coming up It's in one week."

Ran stood up excited and pumped her hands into fists. "Of course we know! We've been counting the days since last two month! Man, we've been living for that." Ran placed her hands on her desk and leaned forward. "This is probably one of the only good things that has happened to us all year!"

"Kotobuki!" Nakanishi yelped frantically. "Calm yourself down! You're still in class if you haven't noticed!"

"Yeah, yeah. Sure." Ran smirked to herself and sat down in her seat.

Aya sighed at her friends behavior, but shortly after, the entire class started talking about the school trip. Everyone seemed very excited and Aya couldn't really blame them. She was also kind of excited for the trip, but in that moment, that wasn't her priority.

A couple of minutes ticked by when the bell rang. Nakanishi quickly dismissed and walked out the class as fast as he could. Everyone followed shortly afterward except for Aya. She carefully took her time placing all her books in her bag. Then, she felt someone tap her shoulders.

"Hey, Aya!" Ran hollered happily.

Aya looked up at her. She also noticed that Miyu and Yuuya standing right behind her. "Hey, guys. What's going on?"

"Were going to go do some karaoke!" Miyu stepped in for Ran excitedly. "We wanted you to come with us. If you like, you can even invite Rei."

Aya's eyebrow twitched a little at the mention of Rei. There was no way that he would agree to go to something like that. If he did go, he would probably agree to go to embarrass her. Aya shook her head and gave them a crooked smile. "It's okay. I can't go. My mother grounded me, remember? She doesn't let me go out. She even took a couple of days off work to check on me."

"Well, we can't really blame her." Ran shrugged her shoulders. "I mean if I would run out of my house in the middle of the night, I would have to deal with my dad's spins for a whole week!"

"Yeah," Aya giggled a little, standing up from her seat with her bag around her shoulders. "I can imagine that."

"So you're not coming with us?" Miyu asked Aya again only to see her shake her head no.

"I'm sorry, guys. Maybe some other time. I promise." Aya told them with a smile, but it quickly faded when her eyes came into contact with Yuuya. Aya gulped and looked down at the ground silently. She didn't like the way Yuuya was acting toward her at all.

Yuuya turned around, looking away from her. "Is that really the reason? Or is it that you're going to hang out with someone else?"

"What? Why are you saying that?" Aya asked him shyly. He had no reason for being so mean with her. Even though she had rejected him, Yuuya had no reason for treating her like that. His attitude was starting to put their friendship on the line.

"Yeah! What the hell Yuuya!" Ran grabbed him by the neck and started pulling him out the room. "What the heck is up with you? You've been in such a bad lately! What's up with you, man?"

Miyu shook her head as they watched them leave the room. Aya sighed, walking over to Rei's desk unknowingly. She placed her hand gently on top, slowly tracing her fingers over the edges. Aya sadly wondered if he had gone home already. She shook her thoughts away and turned back to look at Miyu only to realize that she was gone.

Sighing again, Aya walked toward the door and out the classroom. Then she saw Rei standing right in front of the class door. Aya blinked several times before walking toward him. "Otohata-kun?" She said to him. "What are you still doing here? I thought you had gone home."

"I was, but," Rei hesitated with his words as he and Aya started walking down the hallway. "I wanted to ask you something."

Aya face turned bright red. She looked down at her feet nervously while she began to fidget with her fingers. She wondered what it was that Rei wanted to ask her. Could it be that he was finally going to tell her his feelings? Aya smiled at him and tried her best to remain calm. "What is it?"

"I wanted to ask you about that school trip." Rei said bluntly, placing his hands on the back of his head. "Where the hell are we going?"

"Wait, a minute." Aya shook her head and looked at him a bit confused. "You don't know?"

Rei sighed annoyingly, rolling his eyes as the stood in front of the entrance doors. He opened the door for Aya and they stepped outside the building together. "If I knew, I wouldn't be wasting my time asking you."

"Oh, yeah. Right." Aya laughed nervously. Before saying anything else, she looked up at the sky and took a deep breath. It was such a nice and beautiful day. What made this day even better was being with Rei. With him being by her side, Aya felt so happy and complete.

"Well," Aya began, snapping herself from her thoughts. "At first, for our school trip, we were going to go to Kyoto. Nakanishi wanted us to go there, but the class didn't want to. In the end, we all agreed to go to Okinawa."

"Okinawa?" Rei said with a bit of surprise. "What a pain. Who would want to go there?"

"We would. It sounds fun and I've never been there before. I'm actually kind of excited about this." Aya admitted. "There's nothing better than taking a break from school and going to the beach to relax. Even though, I'm sure Nakanishi-sensei is going to have a hard time keeping an eye on us. Especially Ran. She's probably going to go crazy."

"If you say so." Rei told her.

They walked out the school gate and Aya was surprised to see Rei continue to walk with her. They both lived in different directions. "Otohata-kun? Don't you live in that other way?"

"Yeah, I do." Rei replied quite bluntly. "But I'm walking you home."

"What? Really? Why?" Aya asked surprised, but the happiness didn't fail to slip from her voice. She felt her face blush a faint shade of pink as she looked down at the sidewalk. She couldn't believe how nice Rei could be sometimes.

"Because," Rei answered with a smirk on his face. "Things tend to happen to you when you're alone. I can promise you that Katase won't let you go so easily next time."

Aya nodded, biting her lower lip. He was totally right. Kazuki Katase looked capable of doing anything. She would never be able to forget the cold words that he had said to her. He had said so many unbelievable things about Rei, but the one thing that was stuck to her mind was that Kazuki had accused Rei of killing his girlfriend. It was too crazy for her to believe. Also, unlike Katase, Rei seemed like a nicer person so there was no way that could be true.

"Otohata-kun, are you going to go to the class trip?" Aya asked him, trying to change the subject. She didn't want to think about Katase anymore. She hoped that she would never see him again. Of course, that was a little to much to ask.

Rei shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know. I was going to go, but now that I know that it's Okinawa, I don't feel like going."

"What? Why? Okinawa sounds like such a fun place. Don't you feel like going to the beach?" Aya asked him hopefully. "I don't see what's wrong with going to Okinawa."

"Nothing is wrong with it." Rei told her. "I just don't see the point."

"Well, I think you should go. It's going to be so much fun even though the plane ride is going to be two hours long." Aya placed her finger on her lips. "Have you even paid for the trip yet?"

"Yeah, my dad paid for it when he enrolled me here." Rei told her with regret in his voice.

"You're dad?" Aya was surprised to hear that word come out of Rei's mouth. He usually never talked about anyone in his family. He had only mentioned his dad a few times before. "He enrolled you at Hounan?"

"Yeah, he did. He thought that it would be a good idea. He said that school get me off the streets for a while." Rei smirked to himself as he placed his hands in his pockets and closed his eyes. "Who would have thought that he was right."

Aya stayed silent. She had no idea why he had enrolled to Hounan and now, she knew. His dad had enrolled him there as a way to fix his behavior. In way, Aya found that kind of sad.

"But," Rei continued after a few seconds. "I'm kind of glad that he enrolled me there."

"Really?" Aya looked up at him in surprise.

"Yeah," Rei looked at her and gave her a small smile. "If he hadn't enrolled me in Hounan, I would have never met you."

Aya blushed madly. She tried to laugh off her embarrassment, but it wasn't working. She was also glad that she had met Rei. He had become such an important person to her. She didn't know what she would do without him. Thanks to him, she didn't feel lonely anymore. "I'm also glad that I met you, Rei."

"Yeah, I know." Rei looked at her. "If you hadn't met me, you'd probably be dead by now."

"Hey!" Aya exclaimed loudly. "What's that suppose to mean?"

Rei sighed and shook his head. "Forget it."

Aya crossed her hands. She knew what he had meant. She didn't need to ask him to know. It was amazing how fast Rei could change the mood of the whole situation. First he tells her that he is glad that he met her and then, the next second, he says that she wouldn't be able to make it on her own. It's true that she had trouble expressing her feelings, but that was slowly starting to change and it was all thanks to him.

"Anyways," Aya suddenly said after a while. "It was a bit strange for me that you mention your dad. You usually don't talk about him or your family and I was wondering why that is." Aya paused and looked at Rei. His face experesion was blank. "Why don't you talk about them?"

"Because there's nothing to talk about." Rei snapped back at her, scaring her a bit.

"Yes, there is. I don't know anything about them." Aya told him. "Why do you hate talking about your parents or your family? You're always trying to avoid talking about them. I don't understand why."

"I hate them. They're nothing to me." Rei told her coldly.

Surprised by his harsh words, Aya gulped silently. She tried to remain strong and to not let her tears escape from her eyes. "How can you say that? They're your parents. You're suppose to love them. Even if they're not perfect, you're still suppose to love them."

"How can I love them when they don't give a fuck about me?" Rei asked her even though it seemed that he also asking himself. "They don't give a damn about me, so why should I care about them? I don't know why I even bother explaining things to you."

"I'm sorry." Aya told him, gently touching him on the arm. "I know that it's none of my business, but I wanted to know so I can help you out. I don't want you to suffer alone anymore."

"Yeah, I know." Rei stopped walking and grabbed her hand. "I understand."

He started walking again, holding Aya's hand tightly next to him. Aya blushed a little as she felt Rei's warmth around her trembling hand. Even though Rei was kind of mean and violent towards others, he was always so kind towards her. He had always protected her. From the first day they had met till now. Aya was lucky to have found such a wonderful person like him.

In that moment, Aya realized something else. As she walked with Rei, hand in hand, her feelings in her heart started to become clear. She squeezed Rei's hands tightly as they entered the park, toward her house. She knew, in that instant, that she didn't just like Rei; She loved him.

Aya sighed. They continued to walk silently and before she knew it, they were standing in front of her home. He slowly let go of her hand. "Looks like you made it home safely. Congratulations."

Pouting, Aya turned around and started walking toward the gate of her house. "Whatever. I didn't ask you to walk me home. I could have done it on my own."

"Yeah, right. You can't do anything on your own." Rei said back to her.

She shook her head and opened the gate. She entered inside, but before she closed it, she looked at Rei. She gave him a smile and waved happily at him. "I'll pretend like you didn't say that." Aya told him. "Anyways, I'll see you tomorrow, Otohata-kun. Don't go causing trouble, okay?"

Rei rolled his eyes as he placed his hands in his pockets.

Aya turned around and started walking toward her door. Nothing in the world made her more happier than knowing that she was in love for the first time. No guy had ever made her feel the same way Rei had. There was no doubt that Rei was something special.

Looking for her keys, Aya found them at the very bottom of her bag. She pulled them out and slowly pulled open the door.

She was about to walk in when she saw Dylan running outside excitedly. He jumped and barked around happily before running toward the gate. Aya sighed and placed her bag inside her house before she went to get her dog. Then she was surprised to see Rei still standing in front of her house.

"Otohata-kun?" Aya asked him as she walked toward Dylan. She picked him up from the ground so that he wouldn't run away. "What are you still doing here?"

"Nothing." Rei told her plainly. "I was just waiting for you to go inside."

Aya scratched her head, blushing a little. It made her feel uncomfortable to know that Rei had been standing there waiting for her to go in. "Oh, I see."

"Well, then." Rei stood up straight. "I guess I'll get going. See ya' tomorrow."

"Yeah. Okay." Aya said to him. She began to scratch Dylan behind the ears while he panted. Then he gave out a bark and tried to squirm out of her arms. Aya held him tightly, though, her eyes still fixed on Rei.

"And," Rei suddenly said out of nowhere. "Just because you asked me, I decided to go with you and the others to Okinawa."

…

A week past since that day, but Aya still remembered it clearly. She could never forget how Rei had held her hand so sweetly. Since then, it had become a custom for him to walk her home, but he never held her again. Also, they usually talked about the same things and no matter how much Aya pleaded, he never spoke one word about his family.

Aya sighed as she turned to face the window. She wished she could just say her feelings to him. She wished she had the courage to tell him how she felt. She still couldn't believe how quickly she had managed to fall in love with him. Sometimes Aya thought to herself that she was just confusing love with like. How would she know if she had never fallen in love before?

"C'mon, Aya! What's with the face! We're on our way to Okinawa and you look all depressed! What's wrong with you?" Ran sat down next to her and started pulling on her cheek.

"Ran!" Aya pulled herself away from Ran. "What are you doing? You aren't suppose to be walking around on the plane!"

"The pilot just said through the speaker that it was okay! Didn't you hear?" Ran asked her as she leaned closer to her. Aya just shook her head. "Now that we can walk around, you can go sit next to Rei!"

"Ran!" Aya placed her hands over her mouth and shushed her. "Don't say that so loud. Besides, it looks like he's busy." Aya crossed her hands and slumped back on her seat.

Looking at her with confusion, Ran turned back to look at Rei and then she started laughing. "It's your fault. If you ask me, he looks pretty annoyed."

Aya sighed and continued to look at the window. She didn't want to look back at Rei. Some girl that wasn't from the school was currently sitting next to him and she was trying to talk to him. What made Aya feel worse was the fact that Rei was actually talking back to her. She didn't understand why he was talking to her.

"You shouldn't get jealous over a girl like that." Miyu suddenly said, who was sitting in front of her with Yuuya. "Miyu is sure that he has no interest in her."

"What? I'm not jealous. Why would I be jealous?" Aya told them, trying to sound as cool as possible.

"Oh, really?" Ran crossed her hands as she lifted an eyebrow. "Then, what's with that look on your face?"

Aya shook her head. "Nothing is wrong. I'm fine. I'm just a bit worried about Dylan. He's going to so lonely for the next few days. My mother left to work already and she's hardly in the house. Poor Dylan. I hope he's going to be okay."

"Stop lying, Aya." Ran grabbed Aya's shoulders and started to shake her. "We all know that Dylan is going to be okay. You told the neighbor to keep an eye on him, right? So there is nothing to worry about! Something else is troubling you and I'm sure that it has to do with Rei!"

"No, it doesn't." Aya pulled herself away from Ran again and scooted toward the window. "So leave me alone."

"Oh, look, Aya!" Miyu suddenly squealed. Miyu was sitting on her knees on top of her seat while she pointed at something. "That girl is leaving Rei alone now. You should go and talk to him."

"What?" Aya's eyes widen nervously. "No way. Why would I do something like that? Besides, he's probably still annoyed from having that girl around him. I don't want to go bother him. I'll just annoy him even more."

"Ah, C'mon! He probably wants you to go!" Ran kept saying. "Just go. I know you want to."

"No, I don't!" Aya squealed silently, but she knew that once Ran gets an idea. There was nothing that could change her mind.

"If you don't go, then I'll force you to go!" Ran stood from her seat and grabbed Aya from the hand. Then she made her stand up and pushed her down the aisle. "Now, go! I won't let you come back until you confessed your feelings to him! Understand!?"

Aya felt her heart pounding almost out of her chest as she stood in aisle. Then, she started walking down the aisle toward Rei's seat. She gulped when she stood right in front him. She didn't know where his seat partner was or if he was coming back, but, it was already a little to late for her to turn back.

"Hello, Otohata-kun." Aya greeted him nervously. Rei looked up at her a bit surprised to see her standing there. Blushing, Aya turned to look at Ran who was giving her a big thumbs up. Aya rolled her eyes a little before turning to look back at Rei. "Do you mind if I sit next to you?"

"Sure. Go ahead." Rei told her before he turned to look at the window.

Aya sat down shyly and feeling so embarrassed. She couldn't believe that Ran made her do this. She had no idea what to say to Rei. It felt so awkward that Aya felt like running back to her cozy seat. "I'm sorry if I'm bothering you."

"Nah. It's okay." Rei smirked and turned to look at her. "I kind of like your company."

Blushing, Aya smiled at him. "Oh, well, that's good then." Her smile suddenly faded away. "I saw that you were talking to a girl and I was wondering who she was. She doesn't go to our school, or does she?"

"I don't know." Rei leaned his head back on the seat, closing his eyes. "She just came over and started talking to me. I don't know what her deal was. She was starting to get on my nervous."

Aya shook her head. That was something Rei would say about her too. "If you say so."

Rei opened his eyes to look at her. She quickly looked down at her feet when she felt their eyes make eye contact. "Anyways, Rei. I'm glad that you decided to come to the trip. Things wouldn't be the same without you. Even my friends said so."

"Oh, really?" Rei asked her, lifting his eyebrow. "Your friends said that?"

"Yeah. When I told them that you didn't want to come, they quickly told me to persuade you to come. I was bit surprised myself."

"So your friend Yuuya wanted me to come?" Rei looked at her with a scary glare that made a chill run down her spine.

Aya laughed nervously. "Well, he didn't really say that he wanted you to come, but I'm sure he would have wanted you too. He's a really nice guy. You should try to get to know him. Like I've said before, maybe you two could get to be friends."

"No. Not going to happen." Rei said really seriously.

"What? But why?" Aya asked him. She knew that it was a little too much to ask for all her friends to get along, but she was hopeful. After all, Ran and Miyu had already accepted her friendship with Rei. Aya smiled at that thought.

Rei crossed his hands and closed his eyes annoyingly. "I'm not about to be friends with a guy that likes you."

Aya leaned back, surprised. She gulped and looked down at her knees. "What makes you say that? You don't know that."

"Yes, I do." Rei told her a bit more coldly. "I heard your little conversation with him the other day. He clearly said that he liked you."

"You mean to say that you were eavesdropping in our conversation?" Aya asked with her face flushed bright red. She couldn't believe Rei had heard all that. Sometimes it seemed to her that Rei would always catch her doing something embarrassing. "And what if he said he liked me? I don't like him so there's really nothing to worry about."

"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not worried about you." Rei said coolly. "You can go out with anyone you want. It has nothing to do with me, so do whatever you want."

"Okay, then." Aya looked at him with keen eyes before turning away. "If that's how you're going to be then I'll just leave." Aya sighed and was about to get up from the seat when Rei grabbed her hand and pulled her down.

"Don't be stupid." Rei told her. Aya sat back down and looked at his face expression that was kind of hard to read. "I was just playing. You don't have to go. Just sit here."

Aya smiled at him and leaned her head against the seat. Then she turned to look at him. "I knew you were just playing. I knew that you didn't mean your words."

Rei rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything else. Aya sighed before checking her watch. They still another good hour or so on the plane before they arrived to Okinawa. Suddenly, Aya felt Rei place his hand on top of her head and slowly, he leaned her towards him. With a blush on her face, Aya's head was leaning on top of Rei's shoulder.

"Rei." Aya said quietly. She felt so calm and relaxed being that way with Rei. Her eyes looked around and noticed that no one was really paying attention to them and Aya was really glad about that. She didn't want the people in her class to be getting the wrong idea. There was nothing that was going on between her and Rei. Well, at least not yet.

In her mind, though, Aya promised herself that she would not let this trip go to waste. She promised to say her feelings to Rei no matter what.

No matter what, Rei would know that she was in love with him.

...


	18. Small Paces

**Gals!**

_Hello, everyone. I'm back. Updated pretty faster than usual, huh? I'm so happy about that!_

_Anyways, I'd like to that the people that wished me luck on my homework. I really need it and believe it or not, that motivated me. I'm advancing. One step at a time, but I know I will get there. Eventually. _

_I really enjoy writing chapters for this story. Unlike my others, I've actually seen the ending of this. Of course, you never know, it might change as I write along. Trust me. It could get good. Also, after chapter 20, things are really going to pick up ;)_

_So please enjoy! Thank you for making it this far!_

* * *

><p><strong>Opposite Attractions<strong>

**Chapter 18 – Small Paces**

The ride on the airplane lasted another good hour before they finally arrived at Naha Airport. Once they got out of the plane with their backpacks on their backs, Nakanishi and 2 other teachers, one male and female, started walking them outside. The airport seemed very busy and there were people all over the place. Aya, of course, followed the group. The last thing she wanted was getting lost.

Outside, a local bus was waiting for them to take them to the Beach Tower of Okinawa hotel resort. It looked pretty big, the perfect size for a noisy Shibuya class. They assembled in a line and they started going inside the bus.

After everyone was seated, the bus began to drive it's way to the hotel resort. According to the bus driver, it was a 40 minute drive so they should try to relax and enjoy the scenery. That's what Aya did. She looked outside the window, but every now and then she would sneak a peek at Rei who was sitting a couple of seats behind her with some other guy. He didn't seem to care about the world outside.

Meanwhile, everyone else seemed to be in their own little world. They were all talking excitedly about what they could do in Okinawa or what they wanted to do. Ran, who sitting next to her, also couldn't contain her excitement while Miyu sat behind her, talking to her boyfriend Yamato. She could hear Miyu asking Yamato if she could wear a swimsuit when they went to the beach. Aya giggled at her friend. It was clear to her that Yamato was a bit too overprotective.

When they finally arrived at the hotel, everyone quickly got off, especially Ran. She almost ran outside to get a taste of that wonderful ocean air. Aya and Miyu sweat dropped before following their friend off the bus.

Aya looked around and found herself in front of the hotel that they were going to stay at. It was about 20 stories high and a beautiful white peach color. To Aya, the hotel looked very expensive and, not only that, it seemed to be the only hotel around. Aya gulped as she watched the rest of her class come out of the bus. Shortly afterward, Nakanishi and the other two teachers came out, desperately trying to calm down the class. Mostly Ran. She was was jumping up and down ready to go inside the hotel resort.

"Kotobuki!" Nakanishi yelled at her as he stepped down from the bus. "Calm down! This is a very tranquil place! I don't want you acting up." He stopped talking to her and began to talk to the class. "Okay, everyone, listen up. When we go inside the hotel, I want everyone to be on their best behavior. We'll head to the lobby where I will explain in detail the rules and how we're going to arrange ourselves. If anyone acts up, they will have me to deal with. Understand?!"

Everyone agreed to his terms and Aya nodded with a smile. That was to be expected. There was no way he was about to let everyone run wild. They would have to follow some rules. Aya just hoped they weren't too strict.

Pretty soon, everyone started going inside, following Nakanishi. Aya stayed behind and turned all around, trying to spot the ocean somewhere. Sadly though, she couldn't see it anywhere. She sighed and looked down at her shoes. Then, she felt someone lightly hit her on the head. Aya turned around to find Rei standing behind her.

"What are you doing standing there like an idiot?" Rei asked her as he walked next to her. "If you keep standing there, you'll get left behind."

Aya nodded and smiled. Then she followed him inside, entering together. They walked inside to see Nakanishi in the middle of his speech. He was explaining to everyone about his expectations in them. He didn't want anyone causing trouble or bothering any of the other people that were around. He mentioned that he wasn't going to tolerate any sorts of bad behavior. If someone broke the rules, then their their three day trip would be cut short. To enforce the rules, he had also brought along two more teachers to help him supervise.

After that was done, Nakanishi started explaining there stay at the hotel. They were to sleep in the sixth floor, the girls on the east side and the boys on the west side. He told them that he want them to sleep in rooms of four, girls with girls and guys with guys. Nakanishi warned that if any of the boys tried to sneak in the girls side or vice-versa, they would face the ultimate consequences. Everyone groaned at that, but didn't protest. Then, Nakanishi instructed them to find their four room mates before they headed upstairs.

Hearing that, Ran immediately grabbed Miyu and Aya as her roommates. Aya smiled at this, but Nakanishi had said four girls. They were missing one more in the group, but Ran didn't seem to notice. She was already heading toward the elevator.

"Wait, Ran. We can't go yet." Aya protested, looking around. "We still need one more in the group. Didn't you hear Nakanishi sensei? He wants four girls in a room."

"Really? He said that?" Ran scratched the back of her head a bit confused. "I don't remember him saying that. He just said to look for a room and to have fun!"

Miyu shook her head and grabbed her friend's arm. "No. Aya's right. He said that he wanted four per room. So we have to find someone else."

Ran rolled her eyes and started looking around for a girl who still didn't have a group. Aya also started looking around, but noticed that all girls were already in there rightful place. There was no one else that could join their group. That meant that it would only have to be the three of them. In way, Aya was happy about that.

"Ha! There's no one else left!" Ran hollered after she had scanned the entire lobby. "We'll have the room for ourselves! We'll be able to do whatever we want without disturbing anyone!"

Miyu laughed and hugged Ran by the arm. "Oh, Ran! You forget that Aya is going to be with us. She's going to keep us in check!"

Ran smirked. "Oh, no she won't! There's no way she's going to ruin my fun! Besides, she's probably going to be the one that acts up!"

Aya shook her head, gripping tightly to one of her backpack's straps. She smiled at them before she started walking toward the elevator. Before she could take three steps, Ran leaped out of Miyu's light embrace and jumped next to Aya. She grabbed Aya's hand tightly with one hand and pointed at something with the other.

"Whoa, Aya! Look at that!" Ran told her a bit loud. "Do you see that?"

Aya tried to look in the direction that she was pointing in, but she couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. All she saw was a bunch of people heading toward the packed elevator. Aya looked at Ran with curiosity. "Ran? What are you talking about? I don't see anything special."

"Can't you see? Look over there. By that green looking plant." Ran pointed again. Aya looked in that direction and finally saw what Ran was talking about. Her eyes widen a bit in surprise. "Do you see now? It's Rei and Yuuya. Seems to me like they're going to be in the same group!"

Gulping, Aya nodded slowly. "I guess so. That's what seems like to me also."

"Aya! Aren't you worried?" Ran asked her raising her eyebrow. "What if they start to kill each other? Who will you root for? Personally, I wouldn't know! I mean, Yuuya is our friend, but Rei is the guy your in love with! Man!"

"Ran! Stop saying things like that!" Aya quieted her down as they started walking toward the elevator. "They're not going to do anything like that. They have no reason too."

"No reason too!" Ran hollered, but Aya quickly placed her hands over Ran's mouth. Sometimes she wondered if Ran ever stayed quiet at all. "There is definitely a reason! And that reason would be you!"

Aya rolled her eyes, trying her best to ignore Ran, and walked up to the elevator. It was about to close with Nakanishi and several other students inside, clearly no room for them. Aya sighed and placed her hands on her hips. She and her friends would have to wait for it to come down. Then she saw on the elevator floor indicator that the building had 24 floors. That meant it was going to take a long time for it to go all way up and down again. Aya sighed for the second time before jumping to Ran's voice.

"Man! This going to take forever! All the good rooms are gonna be taken!" Ran stomped her foot. "C'mon let's go through the stairs! By the time that dumb elevator comes down, Aya and Rei will have already been married and expecting their fourth child!"

"Ran!" Aya excliamed blushing madly. "Don't say that! Geez! Besides, I don't feel like climbing six floors of stairs. Were going to get ourselves exhausted."

"Ah, who cares! Let's go!" Ran started to head toward the staircase which was a little further down than the elevator on the right side. Aya and Miyu had no choice, but to follow her. "There's no way I'm about to get tired climbing a couple of stairs! You guys are weaklings if you that gets you down!"

"Hey, Ran. Where are you going?" The girls stopped walking and turned around to see Yuuya. Even though he was standing next to Rei, they acted like strangers. "Isn't the elevator over there?"

Miyu nodded and was about to explain to Yuuya, but Ran didn't even give her a chance. "Yeah, but do you see how slow that thing is? It's gonna take forever for it to come down! So I figured that it could be faster taking the stairs!"

"You're planning to take the stairs? That sounds a bit crazy." Yuuya gave her crooked smile. "I'd rather wait for the elevator."

"Well, I don't care what you want." Ran suddenly said with a smirk. She grabbed Yuuya by the arm and started pulling him toward the staircase. Yuuya, not knowing what she was doing, started going along. "You're gonna come with us! Let's go up together."

"Wait. What? Ran, what?" Yuuya tried to let himself loose, but it was a little to late. Ran was already dragging him up the stairs. "Ran, why not just wait for the elevator?"

Miyu followed them after a while and the rest of Yuuya's group had no choice, but to follow him as well. After all, the group had to stick together and whether he liked it or not, Rei had to follow also.

Rei and Aya started climbing the stairs at the same time. Before they knew it, they were trailing pretty far behind the group. Silence filled them for the first couple of steps. Aya nervously wondered if this would be a good time to confess her feelings. She looked around, but then scratched the idea out of her mind. Confessing in a staircase didn't seem right. Also, it didn't seem like the right moment. The atmosphere wasn't right either.

"Yo, you alright?" Rei suddenly asked her, cutting the dead silence. "You've been quiet for a while."

Startled, Aya looked up at him. She smiled, glad that the awkward silence was finally gone. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. I'm just too tired to climb all the way up."

"Oh, really?" Rei asked her. He stopped climbing the stairs and looked down at her. "There's still a long way to go. Why didn't you just wait for the elevator?"

Aya sighed and looked down helplessly. She hadn't even had the chance to tell Ran that she wanted to wait for the elevator. Even though, it would take the elevator a long time to come back, she wouldn't mind waiting because she was tired. Tired of the airplane flight, tired of walking around in the airport, tired of riding the bus, and tired of all the loud crowd that was in Okinawa. Also, to top things off, she had trouble sleeping the night before. She just couldn't Rei off her mind.

"Well, I wanted to wait for the elevator, but," She stopped climbing to let out a long sigh and gripped tightly on the rail. "Ran insisted that we take the stairs. I had no choice, but to follow along since they're my roommates."

Aya kept climbing, but was stopped when Rei suddenly grabbed her from the waist from behind. She squeaked in surprise, her face blushing madly as she felt Rei wrap his arms tightly and protectively around her. She looked up at him to see him smirking at her. She quickly looked down and tried to calm her heart that was probably racing at a thousand miles per hour. She tried to calm herself down, but couldn't since Rei's sweet aroma travel to her nostrils and down to her lungs. It was such a wonderful feeling to have him so close to her.

"Rei?" Aya manged to say. Her entire body felt numb as Rei pulled her closer to him. She could feel Rei slowly leaning his face in her hair. She felt so embarrassed that she didn't know what to say. "What are you doing?"

Instead of answering her question, Rei unwrapped his arms from her waist and picked her up bridal style. Aya blushing madly, tensed up as she felt Rei picking her up. She was almost certain that her heart was going to pass out in any second. She quickly wrapped her arms around his neck so that she wouldn't fall off even though she was almost certain that Rei would never let that happen to her.

"Rei? Please! Put me down! I don't know what you're doing, but I want you to put me down." Aya pleaded as she moved her head back to look at him in the eyes. "This isn't funny you know."

Of course, he ignored her and he started climbing up the stairs with her in his arms. In that moment, Aya tried to shove herself away and get herself down, but each time she would squirm, he would hold her tighter. "Rei! I'm not playing! What do you think you're doing?"

"Didn't you just tell me that you were tired?" Rei finally snapped at her, but not in a mean way. He looked like he was enjoying the whole situation.

"Yes! I did say that, but what does that have to do with any of this?" Aya told him. She gripped tightly on to his shirt as he continued to climb up the stairs in cool relaxed manner. "Don't tell me that you're going to carry me all the way to the sixth floor?!"

"Yeah, I am. Do you have a problem with it?" Rei asked her with a smirk on his face.

Aya shook her head as she blushed a bright shade of red. She couldn't believe the things that Rei did sometimes. He had carried her before, but not for so long like the way he was planning to do now. "Yes! I do have a problem with it! In fact, I have many problems with it."

"Oh, really?" Rei replied in a teasing manner that made Aya a bit more embarrassed. "Why is that?"

"For one, I can walk on my own. I might be tired, but I can walk! I never asked for your help, so don't worry about it, okay?" Aya kept insisting endlessly. "Now, put me down please. You're gonna end up tired and then you're gonna end up blaming it on me. Also, why would you want to want to carry me all the way up there? I'm heavy and I don't want you to end up with sore arms because of me."

"Now, you're talking a bit to much." Rei told her with a sarcastic tone in his voice. "Don't worry about. I don't mind. Besides, I owe it to you."

"You owe it to me?" Aya repeated a bit confused. "I haven't done anything to deserve this."

"Yes, you have." Rei told her a bit more seriously. "Being by my side is more than enough."

With that, Aya stayed quiet and let her cheeks blush a bit more. She decided to not protest anymore because she was afraid that if she did, she would ruin the wonderful moment she was having with Rei. Confessing her feelings also crossed her mind, but she kept quiet. Instead, she wrapped her arms tighter around Rei's neck, her head leaning slowly against his warm chest.

"Thank you." She said quietly as she slowly started closing her eyelids.

When they finally made it upstairs, Rei gently placed Aya on the ground without saying a single. She continued to hold on to Rei's shirt until she felt her feet safe on the floor. She smiled at him as she blushed madly. He in return gave her gentle look.

They walked out of the staircase to find Ran and Miyu waiting for her. Aya looked around, realizing that they were in the girl section. She turned to Rei, but he was already leaving with his group to the guy's side. Aya sighed and turned back to look at her friends. She should have told him her feelings when she had the chance. She hoped, though, that she would get another golden moment with Rei later on in the trip.

"C'mon! Let's see what room is left for us!" Ran grabbed Miyu by the arm and Aya quietly followed while looking at the hallways, her mind and heart still thinking about Rei.

Considering it was a pretty expensive hotel, the hallways looked pretty simple. They were painted a simple white color and a few paintings were hung around. The walls were pretty far apart though. There was enough room for an elephant to walk by. They continued walking until they met up with one of Nakanishi's teacher helpers.

"Hello, girls. Looking for a room?" She asked after taking a quick look at her clipboard. Aya and her friends nodded while the teacher smiled at them sweetly. She asked for their names and they quickly gave it to her. "Okay. Lets see which room is available."

She looked at her clipboard again and scanned through a list. Then she turned her head to look at something, but her eyes quickly returned back to the clipboard. After that, she pulled out a key from a bag that was hanging around her shoulder. "Here you go, girls. Your room number will be 4218."

"Okay." Aya said for all of them. She smiled at the teacher sweetly and grabbed the key from her hands. "Can you tell us where it's at?"

The teacher nodded and pointed up the hallway. "It's the third door, on the right side. I'm sure you'll be able to find it."

Aya nodded and they waved good-bye, and just as they were about to leave. The teacher spoke to them again. "Oh, wait!" She exclaimed in a rush. Aya and her friends turned around to look at her. "You have a couple of minutes to settle in, relax, and all that. You guys have approximately 45 minutes. At 2:30, I want you all to be downstairs in the lobby. From there, we're going to go to the beach so please remember to bring your swimming gear."

"Awesome!" Ran yelled excitedly. "That's what I like to hear! The beach! Finally. But, I'm starving."

"Ran. How can you say that? After the waiter in the airplane told you that the food was free, you almost ran the airplane out of food." Miyu told her with a giggle. "How can you still be hungry?"

"Thank you so much, Miss." Aya told the teacher, interrupting her friends. "I guess we'll get going to our rooms."

"Sure thing. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call me. That's what I'm here for." The teacher smiled and began walking down the hallway to some girls that had barely stepped out of the elevator. They were looking pretty lost.

Aya and the others headed toward their room. When they stood right in front of the door, Aya sighed and slowly placed the key inside the lock. She turned it and opened the door. Before walking inside, she peeked her head. Once she figured it was safe, she opened the door widely, allowing her friends and herself to step inside.

"Whoa! This is so nice! Man, Nakanishi sensei sure knows how to pick some nice ass hotels!" Ran said to herself as she walked inside. "This is amazing."

Aya totally agreed with Ran. The room was beautiful; elegant, but simple. There were two giant beds with light blue bedsheets that were against the right side wall while in the left stood a nice dresser with a flat screen television. Further ahead, next to the dresser, there were two single sofas that were at angle toward each other. Then, right in front of the big window, there was a wooden round table with 4 chairs. Everything was very organized that Aya wondered what it would end up looking after their trip was over.

"Man! This is a totally cool place!" Ran said, plopping herself on the bed that was farthest away from the door. Miyu followed and placed her backpack on top of the bed. Ran took a deep breath and let herself fall down on top of the mattress. "Yes! This is definitely better than school!"

Aya smiled as she placed her backpack on the other bed. She was guessing that Ran and Miyu were probably going to be sleeping together. Not that she minded. She was actually kind of glad that she was getting a bed all to herself. She'll be able to sleep more comfortable. Aya unzipped her backpack and started pulling out the few clothes she had brought.

Then her mind suddenly wondered off to Rei. She wanted to enjoy this trip with him. She really did, but she was afraid that her confession would ruin everything. There was a chance that he didn't like her back. Aya shook that thought away. She couldn't drown herself in negative thoughts. Rei had to feel something for her, even if it was small. He had done so many things for her. Also, if it hadn't been for her, he wouldn't have come at all.

"Hey, Aya? Are you okay? You seem a bit distracted." Miyu asked Aya as she looked at her curiously.

"Oh, I'm fine. I'm just a bit tired. It's been quite a day. The airplane trip kind of worn me out." Aya told them, sitting down on the bed mattress.

"Oh, really?" Ran bolted up from the bed and jumped on top of Aya's bed. She had mischievous grin on her bed, her eyes looking straight at Aya. "That's not what it looked like to me! You and Rei looked pretty cozy together, leaning on each other and stuff on the airplane! Did you tell him already?!"

Aya blushed and shook her head. "No. I haven't told him anything, yet. I'm not so sure if I should." When she finished talking, she felt Ran grab her tightly from the shoulders. She started to shake her back and forth.

"Oh, no! Don't give me that! You're going to tell him and if you don't, I'm gonna tell him myself!" Ran told her loudly, but luckily Aya managed to pull her off. "What are you afraid of? It's obvious that he likes you! I mean, he looked so annoyed when that other girl was sitting next to him, but when you came his face totally lit up!"

"Really? Did his face really light up?" Aya asked her with a bright smile on her face. Her confidence levels were slowly starting to rise up. She looked down at her clothes on the bed while her face turned a shade of pink. "I hope your right."

"I am right! Just you watch! When you tell him that you're in love with him, he's totally going to accept you! Just watch!" Ran winked at her. "I know what I'm talking about."

Suddenly, they heard a phone vibrate. They all looked at each other in silence. After they all checked their phones, they realized that the vibrations were coming from Ran's cellphone. Ran looked at her screen before giving out an annoyed growl.

"Damn! That monkey boy!" Ran suddenly hollered as she threw her cellphone on top of her bed. "I barely arrive and he's already bothering me! I don't want to talk to him! Well, at least not yet."

Ran smirked and grabbed the room's phone that was on top of a night table besides Aya's bed. She pressed a few buttons, then she placed the phone in her ear. She waited for a couple of seconds when she finally heard someone answer.

"Yo, room service! Bring a large pizza up to room 4218! What flavor? It doesn't matter!" Ran told them excitedly. "You better get here before 2:30 because by that time we'll be gone! Yeah, sure."

"Ran? We shouldn't eat. We're about to go swimming." Miyu eyed her as she watched Ran hang up the phone.

"We? What are you talking about? The pizza is for me! If you want one, order one yourself." Ran greedily told Miyu with a smirk. "Besides, I can't go anywhere on empty stomach. It's bad for my health. I have to stay energized!"

Aya laughed and shook her head. She couldn't wait to go out to the cool beach. She wasn't sure if she was going to swim or not, but it didn't matter to her. All she really wanted to do was to enjoy the beautiful scenery with the person she loved which was Rei. Maybe she would get another chance to confess her feelings.

"Ah, the ocean." Miyu said under her breath. "It would have been wonderful if Yamato was here. That would make this trip so much better. Just imagine the two of us together."

Ran rolled her eyes. "Who cares about that! I'm ready to go out there and have fun! Right, Aya?"

Aya stopped pulling out her clothes from her bag and looked up at Ran. She smiled and happily nodded. "Yeah, I'm so excited. It's going so be much fun!"

"I'm sure you can't wait to show yourself to Rei in a swimsuit." Ran smirked, crossing her hands. "If you like, you can borrow one of mine. I'm sure that will really catch his attention!"

Blushing, Aya quickly shook her head. "No! No! I'm fine! Don't worry about me! I don't need it! I have my own!"

Miyu walked over to Aya and gave her a big hug. "Don't worry, Aya! Miyu won't let Ran torture you! We're all here to have a good time and we're also here to support you! Remember Aya. Whether Rei accepts you or not, we'll be here for you!"

Aya nodded. She was happy that she had their love and support. No matter how things went, she was determined to take a step forward. Her friends were counting on her to do so. Aya couldn't let them down. If she didn't confess, not only was she going to let herself down, but also her friends. She didn't want that.

"Don't worry." Aya suddenly said. "I promise. I will tell him."

Meanwhile, in Rei's group room, the boys lazily stepped inside their room, tired as could be. Especially Rei, but of course, he wasn't complaining. Unlike the girls room, the guys room was arranged much more differently. Instead of there being two big beds, there were 4 smaller beds across from each other. Rei picked the bed that was closet to the door and placed his backpack on top of it.

Before he let his mind wander off, Rei felt someone staring him. He looked up to see Yuuya Asou, standing right in front of him. He lifted his eyebrow and crossed his hands. "What the hell do you want?"

Yuuya stayed quiet for a couple of seconds, but then he gave Rei a serious glare. "There's something I want to talk to you about."

...

**A/N: **I actually did some research on this. Yes, I'm that committed :)


	19. A Thousand Heartbeats

**Gals!**

_Hey, everyone! I finally updated this story after a long absence. I'm so sorry about that. School and homework have currently been overpowering my life. Lucky for me, though, I've been able to pull through. They will not get me down!_

_Anyways, please enjoy chapter 19 of OA! And a quick thanks to all my readers, reviewers, subscribers, ect. This is one story that I've been writing with my heart and soul. I put all my emotions in this story._

* * *

><p><strong>Opposite Attractions<strong>

**Chapter 19 – A Thousand Heartbeats**

Aya hesitated to come out of the changing tent. The heat was killing her, but she was a bit embarrassed about her swimsuit. It wasn't too extravagant, just too revealing. It was a light pink two piece swim that had a couple of ruffles on it. Aya sighed and peeked her head from the entrance to make sure that no one was watching. Of course, the moment she looked outside, she was completely caught by surprise by Ran's big eyes.

"It's about time you come out! Do you know how long you've been in there?" Ran exclaimed, grabbing her hand and pulling her out from the changing tent. Aya, embarrassed, blushed and quickly looked down at the sand. "See! Look at you! You are so cute!"

Shaking her head, Aya protested. "Why did you make me wear this one? I had brought a swimsuit of my own, a nice one piece, and you didn't let me wear it. I don't think this one really goes with me. So please, Ran. Let me change."

Ran shook her index finger and gripped on Aya's arm a bit tighter. Then she started dragging her across the sandy beach. Aya didn't say anything and sheepishly walked along with Ran, looking around. It was pretty crowded, but not as much as she had expected it to be. Most of the students were in the ocean, splashing and swimming around. Some of the girls had laid themselves on top of their towels, trying their best to get a tan. She could also feel a bunch of people staring at her.

When Ran stopped walking, Aya realized that they were standing right in front of Miyu and Yuuya. Miyu waved at her with a happy smile on her face. She was sitting on top of a towel while she had a big umbrella above her head. Yuuya gave her a small smile, but said nothing.

"Hey, guys. I'm sorry I took so long. I guess I felt a bit embarrassed." Aya admitted quietly, looking down at her swimsuit. She sat down next to Miyu on top of the towel. Then her fingers started to play with the sand that was near by.

"Oh, Aya. There's nothing for you to be embarrassed by. That swimsuit looks really good on you." Miyu told her grabbing her drink and taking a sip through the straw. "You should just try to relax and enjoy yourself. Look at this beautiful weather! The day is just perfect."

Ran sighed and placed her hands on her hips. "Yeah, yeah. The day is great! So what are we waiting around for?! Let's go swimming! I'm tired of just sitting around here doing nothing."

Aya laughed a little to herself at her friend's impatience. She watched as Ran walked over to Yuuya and grabbed him tightly by the arm. Not knowing what to do, Yuuya gave Ran a weary look. He knew that whenever Ran came to him, it can only mean trouble. "Let's go swimming, Yuuya!"

"I don't really feel like swimming right now." Yuuya gave Aya a quick peak before turning back to Ran. "I really don't feel like doing anything today."

Ran let Yuuya go and whacked him hard in the head. Yuuya grimaced, rubbing the back of his head which was aching in pain. "Don't be stupid, Yuuya! This is a one in a life time opportunity! Who knows when we'll come to Okinawa again! We gotta enjoy this trip to the fullest! So stop being an ass and let's go swimming!"

Without saying another word, Yuuya let Ran drag him out to the water. Aya and Miyu watched as Ran excitedly jumped toward the ocean's waves. Before they knew it, Ran and Yuuya were having a good time together. They were happily throwing water at each other and laughing at each others silliness. It was a good sight to see. Aya was relieved to see Yuuya having a good time for a change since lately he had been pretty quiet and kind of serious looking. Aya couldn't really blame him, though. It was kind of her fault.

"Hey, Aya?" Miyu suddenly said, cutting the silence. "Aren't you going to go swim?"

Aya looked at her before shaking her head. "I don't think so. I enjoy just looking at the beautiful view. That's enough for me. I love the ocean. It's very beautiful and relaxing." Aya took a good whiff of the ocean smell. There was nothing better than spending a day at the beach with her friends.

"Yeah, you're right." Miyu agreed with her, taking another sip of her drink. "By the way, Aya. Where is Rei? Miyu hasn't seen him around."

Looking around, Aya realized that Miyu was right. Rei was no where to be found. She sighed and sadly looked at the ground. She really shouldn't have been too surprised. After all, he had said before that he didn't even want to come. Maybe he had stayed in his room or something. It disappointed Aya to think that. "No. I haven't seen him either."

"Hmm, have you gotten a chance to tell him how you feel?" Miyu suddenly asked her out of the blue. She grabbed her sun hat and placed it on her lap. "That's what you've been waiting to do, right?"

Aya's eyes widen a bit and shook her head slowly. She hadn't told him anything because she hadn't found the right moment yet. It would be her first love confession so she really wanted it to be special. Besides, even if she did get rejected, at least it would be memorable. Of course, though, Aya didn't want to be rejected, but she had to have every single possibility open. Anything could happen. Aya had already played in her mind every single scene that could happen starting by a cold rejection.

"I haven't gotten a chance to tell him yet, but I promise that I will. I have already made up my mind that I will tell him." Aya said with determination in her voice. "I'm a little nervous about it, though. What if he doesn't like me? What if I end the small friendship we have? That would be horrible."

"Aya, don't think so negative. Everything is going to be fine. Have a little confidence in yourself." Miyu smiled at her warmly. Miyu reached over to her and placed her sun hat on top of Aya's head. Surprised, Aya looked up at the hat as she heard Miyu giggling. "You look so cute, Aya! How could Rei not like you?"

Aya blushed, but couldn't hide her smile. She could really tell that Miyu was trying to lift her spirits. Aya took Miyu's sun hat off and gave it back to her. "Oh, Miyu. You're just to nice sometimes. You're just saying that because you're my friend."

Miyu laughed, but then stopped when something suddenly caught her attention. She quickly took a sip of her drink before standing up. Looking down at her, Miyu waved at Aya happily. "Well, Aya! Miyu's going to go with Ran and Yuuya to take a dip in the water. It looks so refreshing and wonderful!"

"I thought you weren't going to swim." Aya told her, watching her as she started walking down toward the water.

Miyu stopped, turned around to look at her, and shook her head. "Miyu changed her mind. Besides, it seems you have company."

Aya, confused, watched the giggling Miyu run toward Ran and Yuuya who were having a swimming contest. Ran was in the lead and Yuuya was quickly starting to fall behind. They both seemed to be enjoying themselves. Aya would have gone with them if she hadn't been wearing the swimsuit Ran had given her. She wished she could be wearing the nice one piece she had brought from home. She felt too embarrassed to even stand up much less walk. Aya sighed and hugged her knees tightly. The swimsuit was very pretty, but it just wasn't made for her.

"What the hell are you doing? Shouldn't you be over there with your friends?"

Surprised, Aya looked up and through the sun's bright rays was able to see Rei standing right next to her. He looked the same as usual. Unlike all the other boys that were around, Rei kept his shirt on, much to Aya's relief. It would have been too much for her to handle if her would have been shirtless. Aya blushed and hugged her knees even closer to her chest.

Rei sighed, sitting next to her on the towel. Aya face immediately flushed even more at the feeling of having Rei so close. What made her feel worse, though, was her bathing suit. It made her feel so awkward wearing it while she was next to Rei. It was just too embarrassing.

"Shouldn't you be over there with your friends? What are you doing here all by yourself?" Rei asked her again, giving her a quick glance.

Aya laughed nervously, pulling her knees as close as she could to herself. "Well, I don't really feel like swimming right now. I'm not really good at it."

"Oh, I see." Rei stated quite sternly.

Sighing, Aya looked at Rei and smiled. A part of her was glad that he was there next to her. He really could be anywhere and yet, he chose to be there with her. Every girl on the beach would occasionally glare at Aya and feel envy because she was sitting next to a guy like Rei. "I thought you weren't going to come down to the beach. When I saw that you weren't here, I thought you had stayed in your room."

"I hate being stuck inside a hotel room. Why would I stay there?" Rei told her with an annoyed tone in his voice. "It's bad enough I got stuck in the same room as your little friend Yuuya."

Aya bit her lip and didn't say anything in return. When she felt Rei's gaze on her, Aya started wiggling and playing with her toes. She knew that Rei didn't really like Yuuya so having him in a room would definitely make him feel uncomfortable. Then again, maybe that could be the trigger that helps them become friends. "That could be a good thing, then. You two can finally get to know each other and become friends."

"There's no way I'm going be friends with him." Rei snapped at her, making Aya sigh helplessly. Maybe she should just stop persisting on the topic and let things flow their course. "He talked to me before coming here."

"Really?" Aya said with surprise, not expecting it at all. She saw Rei's face go from normal to stiff. "What did he tell you? What did he talk to you about?"

Rei shrugged his shoulders before he continued talking. "It was nothing serious. He just told me something that I already knew." He paused and looked out into the beach. His gaze turning to Ran and others who were still goofing around in the water. Aya waited patiently as the breeze blew on her hair, which were in two ponytails, and making her face cool down a bit. "He told me that he was in love with you."

Aya gasped and placed her hand over her mouth. What in world was Yuuya thinking? Saying something like that to Rei; was he out of his mind? "Oh. What did you say to him?"

"Nothing. What did you want me to say? I really could care less how he feels or how he doesn't." Rei told her, but Aya noticed how he was slowly curling his hands into fists. "He should learn to keep those things to himself. Nobody cares especially not me."

Feeling bad about herself, Aya looked up at the sky while her eyes started to accumulate tears. Of course, she became strong enough to hold them in. "So was that all Yuuya said?"

"No. He also asked me what I felt about you." Rei blurted out, quickly looking in another direction and avoiding Aya's eyes.

Was this it? Was this the moment Aya had been waiting for the entire day? Aya gulped and let go of her knees. She shifted her body so that she was facing Rei. Her heart started pounding loudly while her mind started picking the right words for her to start. She wanted to tell him. She wanted to tell him so badly how much she liked him. Aya knew that she would never get a chance like the one she had before her. She had to tell him how she felt no matter what. Aya swallowed and gripped on the towel tightly. "Rei?"

Hearing his name, Rei turned back around to look at her. They stayed in silent for a couple seconds, both of them staring at each other and Aya blushing like crazy. Her cheeks felt warmer as each second ticked by. Her heart was starting to feel so heavy that she was starting to have trouble breathing. When Aya finally had the courage to speak, Rei interrupted her with the smirk that had formed in his face.

"That swimsuit looks good on you." Rei told her, pointing at it with his index finger.

"No, it doesn't! I don't like it at all." Aya yelped, hugging her knees again. She had tried her best to hide it from him because she knew that he would sooner or later make fun of her. Feeling her blushing face, Aya quickly looked down at the ground.

"If you don't like it, then why are you wearing it?" Rei asked her as he raised his eyebrow.

Aya sighed and bit her lower lip. "It's all Ran's fault. I had already bought a swimsuit of my own. I really liked that one, but Ran hid it from me and she didn't let me wear it. She forced me to wear one of hers. I didn't want too, but I kind of had too. I really hate being dressed like this in public. It's really embarrassing. This swimsuit just isn't for me."

Rei smirked and let out a laugh. "So is that the real reason why you're sitting down all the way over here? You're embarrassed of that swimsuit you're wearing?"

Aya nodded slowly and snapped her eyes shut. All this was Ran's fault. If she had let her wear her own swimsuit, none of that would have been happening. Aya opened her eyes again and stared out into the ocean. She looked at Ran, who had been trying to get her attention for the past few minutes. When Aya finally glanced at her, she watched as Ran gave her a big thumbs up. Aya just groaned under her breath and ignored her.

"I'm too embarrassed to even stand up. I've never worn something like this before. It's a bit too much for me." Aya replied to Rei after she had taken a long pause. "That's why I'm staying under here until we leave."

Rei didn't say anything as he kept looking at her. Then he suddenly sat up straight and started to take off his shirt. Aya panicked for a little as she saw Rei go shirtless. She recovered herself when Rei suddenly threw his shirt at her. Aya grabbed it gently and then looked at Rei curiously. "Why are you giving this to me?"

"You said you were embarrassed, right?" Rei told her with an inflexible face. "If you want you can put it over yourself. It won't cover much, but it's better than nothing, right?"

Aya held Rei's blue shirt in her hands. Once again, she was getting Rei's permission to wear his shirt. She smiled at him and slowly started to put on. Just like before, she was able to smell Rei's scent and just like before, it gave her wonderful pleasing feeling. When she had it on her, Aya was happy to see that the shirt was long enough to cover her stomach and part of her thighs. What really made her feel much better was the fact that she was once again wearing something that belong to Rei.

That's when Aya realized something. They way Rei would always be so attentive to her felt the way a boyfriend would be with his girlfriend. Aya shook that thought away and fixed Rei's shirt so that it wouldn't look so wrinkly on her. She turned to look at the now shirtless Rei. There was no doubt to Aya that he was definitely the most handsome guy on the entire beach.

"There you go." Rei told her with a smirk. He suddenly stood and he held out his hand for Aya. "C'mon. You can go with your friends now."

Aya hesitated, but then grabbed on to Rei's hand as he helped her stand up. "Okay. Thank you so much." Aya blushed and then immediately let go of his hand. She loved the sensation she had felt holding Rei's hand. She wondered would it would be like to hold his hand everyday.

Rei shrugged and started walking away from her. Aya, startled for a minute, called out to him. "Otohata-kun? Where are you going?"

Rolling his eyes, Rei turned around to look at her. "I don't know. I'm going to go around for a walk, I guess. I hate being here in the beach. It's so crowded. It annoys me."

"Oh." Aya said quietly, looking down at Rei's shirt. "I'm sorry about taking your shirt. I'll give it back to you if you want."

Rei smirked, tilting his head. "Just keep it. I wouldn't want guys to look at you when you're half naked." Aya blushed, pouting in embarrassment. Rei let out a small laugh. "In a way, it's kind like I'm protecting you, huh?"

With that, Rei gave her a quick smile before he turned around to leave. He placed his hands in his pockets as he walked across the sandy beach. All the girls who caught a glimpse of him immediately started drooling and Aya was definitely no exception. She placed her hands on top of Rei's shirt and smiled at herself. She was so lucky to have a guy like Rei by her side.

Aya, still smiling, quickly started to run toward Ran and others. She was in much happier mood and it was all thanks to Rei. It was amazing how he could boost up her confidence and her self esteem so quickly. When Aya made it with her friends, they were all surprised to notice Rei's shirt on top of her body.

"Oh, so that's what you were doing!" Ran squealed grabbing Aya by shoulders, keeping her still from any movement. "You were undressing Rei!"

"I was not! Don't say that, Ran!" Aya exclaimed as she pulled herself from Ran's grip. She walked toward the ocean's waves and slowly let her feet get soaked with the salty water. "He let me borrow it after I told him I felt embarrassed about your swimsuit. Unlike some people, he's actually considerate of me."

"Hey! You better not be saying that because of me! I love you way more than that guy ever will!" Ran stated. She leaned down and cupped some water in her hands. Then she threw the water at Aya's face. "By the way, why didn't he come down here with us?"

Aya did the same thing and threw some water at Ran. "I don't know. He doesn't like the beach very much and he hates crowded places like these. He didn't even want to come to Okinawa at all."

"Ahh! So in other words he just came to check on you!" Ran told her. Catching Aya off guard, Ran grabbed Aya by the waist and pulled her a little deeper in the water. The only way Aya could Ran to let her go was by throwing more water on her face.

"Be quiet, Ran. That's not it at all." Aya could feel Rei's shirt getting wet really quickly. His wonderful smell was slowly being replaced by the aroma of the salty sea. "He probably just came because his dad had already paid for the trip. It would be waste if he didn't come."

Ran shrugged and turned over to look at Miyu, who had been quietly floating along with Yuuya. Then she suddenly surprised them by splashing them with water. Before Aya realized it, they were all having a water fight together.

When they finally calmed down, Aya was suddenly surprised by a question from Ran. "Hey, Aya. I forgot to ask you. Did you tell Rei your feelings?"

Aya shook her head and began to fiddle with her fingers while she soaked them in the water. "No. I haven't. Not yet. I was going to tell him when we were sitting down together, but I didn't. I'm going to, though. So don't worry."

"Well, that's good then. When you do, you better tell us!" Ran suddenly said, jumping in front of her. "We're your best friends and we have the right to know."

"Yes, Ran. I know, I know!" Aya giggled as she tossed her wet bangs away from her eyes. It was good to know that her friends were always watching out for her and supporting her.

"What do you guys mean by that? Do you like Rei?" Yuuya suddenly asked after they had all stayed in silent. Aya looked at him, but couldn't get herself to say a single word. She didn't know why Yuuya was asking her something like that. She had assumed that Yuuya already knew that she liked Rei. "Aya? What do you mean that your going to tell Rei your feelings?"

Aya was about to explain things to him carefully, but Ran beat her to it. "What?! You mean you haven't figured it out yet?! Aya is in love with Rei Otohata and she is planning to confess her feelings! I think she should totally go for it!"

"Well, I'm against it." Yuuya told her. He started getting away from them until his feet laid back on the beach. Yuuya turned back to look at Aya. She was shocked to see him so angry. "Aya, you shouldn't do it. He's not the right guy for you. I asked him today what he felt for you and you know what he said?"

Aya's eyes widen as she looked at Yuuya. She didn't want him to continue, but a part of her wanted to know. By the look on Yuuya's face, Aya could tell that his next words wouldn't be too pretty. "What did he say, Yuuya? Tell me. Please."

Yuuya's hands turned into fists as he angrily looked down at the sand. "When I asked him what he felt for you, he told me that he didn't feel anything. He told me that you were annoying and that you were always in his way."

Aya shook her head, her eyes on the verge of tears. "No! You're lying! Rei would never say something like that!"

"Well, he did! He told me that." Yuuya continued. He turned his back on them as he got ready to leave. "He also said that the only reason he was hanging out with you is because he felt sorry for you."

After those horrid words came out of his mouth, Yuuya walked off, leaving Aya speechless and the others stunned. Aya didn't know why he had said that, but if his intentions had been to hurt her, then he had successfully completed his mission. Aya was more hurt than ever.

…

Yuuya's words kept circling through Aya's mind as she sat down on her knees in her bed. Unlike Ran and Miyu, Aya hadn't bothered going to dinner after their swim at the beach. She wasn't hungry and she certainly didn't want to see Yuuya's face. She was too angry with him to even bare looking at him. Yuuya was her friend and it surprised her that he would ever say something so mean to her like that.

Aya sighed and looked around the room. Then she spotted Rei's shirt that was in the process of drying itself as it laid on top of a chair. She didn't know why, but for some reason, Aya just couldn't believe Yuuya. She knew that Rei used to kind of hate her at first, but those feelings of hatred had already disappeared. Rei had showed her so much kindness. He had proven to her that he truly did care about her. That's why Aya couldn't believe what Yuuya had said. She just couldn't.

Still, what if everything Yuuya did say was true? There were still so many things that Aya didn't know about Rei. What if that was one of them? Feeling uncomfortable with herself, Aya grabbed a near by pillow and placed it over her head. She wished she knew what to do.

"Aya! Aya! Aya!" Ran suddenly said, opening the door. She quickly ran toward her and sat on top of her bed. "Aya! You better not tell me that you're still worried about what Yuuya said?"

Aya nodded as she placed the pillow in her lap. "I can't help it. I just can't understand why he would say something like that. He's my friend. He shouldn't say things like that to me."

Ran grabbed her shoulders and started to shake her back and forth. "I already told you, Aya! Stop thinking about that! I already explained to you that you shouldn't believe anything unless Rei says it from his mouth! So snap out of it! You just missed the best dinner ever and it's all because you were sulking about some stupid lies that Yuuya said to you! It was a feast! I had never eaten to much in my life!"

Aya gave Ran a weak smile that quickly transformed into a frown. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry."

Ran huffed a giant sighed and walked over to her bed. She started scattering through her clothes until she found her pajamas. "Hey, don't sweat about it. Everything is going to be fine. Don't let Yuuya's words get ya' down. He's probably also just worried about you. After all, if Rei does like you then he'll end up being part of the group."

Sighing, Aya looked down at the bed while Ran quickly changed into her sleep attire. "I don't know anymore, Ran." Aya paused and then looked at Miyu who had just walked in through the door.

"Aya, are you sure you don't want to eat something? You didn't eat anything at the beach either." Miyu told her a bit worriedly. "Aren't you hungry?"

Shaking her head, Aya got up from her bed and started to undo the bed sheets. For some reason, she felt very sleepy. The day would have been perfect if Yuuya would have just kept his mouth shut. "No, I'm not hungry at all, so please don't worry."

Miyu also changed into her pajamas and sat on top of her bed. She looked at Aya with concerned eyes. "Aya, we don't like seeing you like this. You were all happy before. Please, don't take Yuuya's words to heart. We both know that he's just jealous."

"But what if they're not lies?" Aya asked them quietly. "What I'm I going to do if I figure out that they're not lies? It'll kill me."

Ran sighed annoyingly and started digging through her bag until she found her toothbrush. "Oh, Aya. You're such a sensitive person. If you're worried about it, then just ask Rei about it tomorrow. I'm sure he'll be able to answer all of your questions."

Miyu nodded. "Yeah. He even came up to us during dinner to ask us where you were at."

That caught Aya's attention. She stopped unfolding her bed and looked at Miyu straight in the eyes, her heart hoping that she hadn't heard wrong. "Really? He asked you guys about me?"

Ran nodded, giving Aya a cheery wink. "Yeah, he did. I was surprised he even came three feet from us!" Ran laughed as she grabbed Miyu from the sleeve. "Well, Aya. Me and Miyu will be right back. We're gonna to the bathroom so don't do anything stupid. Got it?"

Feeling a bit better, Aya nodded as she watched her friends step out the room. They slowly closed and Aya was once again left all alone in the room, but this time, she felt much better. She didn't feel as depressed as she did before.

Aya continued to pull on the bed sheets until she saw them good enough for her to lay down on. She grabbed her phone from her bag before she dropped it on the floor. Then she slowly laid herself on top of the bed while she looked through her messages. As she had expected, she only had a couple from her mother, telling her to be careful and to have a good time. Aya smiled at her mother's message.

After looking through all her inbox, Aya placed her cellphone next to her and slowly began closing her eyes. She had a long day. A day filled with happiness, surprises, sadness, embarrassment, and Rei. Aya smiled to herself and when her friends finally came back from the bathroom, she was already fast asleep. Ran and Miyu had no choice, but to follow Aya's example and head to bed earlier than they had expected to.

It wasn't long before Aya woke up again. She opened her eyes to see the room pitch dark and to hear her phone vibrating like crazy. She looked for it with her hands until she finally felt it. She looked at the screen and realized she was getting a call from an unknown number. Aya, with the bright screen torturing her eyes, answered with a scratchy voice. "H-hello?"

"_Hey. What you doing?" _

Aya couldn't believe that it was Rei on the other line. She quickly sat up and tried to control her breathing. She looked around desperately trying to figure out the time. "What do you think I'm doing? I was asleep until you called." Aya whispered. "How did you get my number? What time is it?"

"_I've been having your number for a long time. I just never had any need to use it." _Rei paused and cleared his throat. Aya could tell that he was also whispering. _"So where were you today during dinner?"_

Aya didn't have to see to know that she was blushing. She quickly turned to look at her friends. Thanks to window's light, Aya was able to see her friends fast asleep. Miyu was sleeping in the most perfect position while Ran had her legs wide open and her hands were stretched out everywhere. Her mouth letting out a couple of snores. Aya was glad she had a bed all to herself.

"Oh, well, you see," Aya began, scratching the back of her head. "I wasn't feeling well so I decided to just come to the room and rest. It's been such a long and tiring day for me."

"_Oh, I see." _They stayed in silent for the next minute or so. Aya was nervous to be talking to Rei that she started biting her finger nails. She didn't know if she should ask him about what Yuuya had said. _"Aya,"_ Rei suddenly said, breaking the silence._ "Do you think you can give me a bit of your time?"_

Aya gasped as her heart began to thump a thousand heartbeats. The hand that was holding her phone was slowly starting to become sweaty. "What do you mean by that?" Hearing Rei sigh, Aya snapped her eyes shut. Did he mean that he wanted to talk more with her? "Yeah. I guess I could."

"_Okay. I'll be right there in a second." _And with that, Rei clicked, leaving Aya shocked with her jaw open.

Immediately, Aya started to panic. Was Rei playing some sort of prank on her? Had she heard wrong? Did Rei just tell her he was coming? Aya, not knowing what to do, started biting her lower lip while her forehead started to sweat. Her feet started shaking nervously, her hands tossing the bed sheets to the floor. Aya looked at her friends, but decided not to wake them up. Her mind was starting to go crazy while her heart was close to pounding straight out of her chest.

When she finally heard a faint knock at the door, Aya almost collapsed.

...


	20. Awaited Moment

**Gals!**

_So, this is where the story really begins..._

_And, I'd like to thank everyone that has been taking the time to read and review this story._

* * *

><p><strong>Opposite Attractions<strong>

**Chapter 20 – Awaited Moment**

Getting down from her bed, Aya walked toward the door as another faint knock at the door was heard. She checked on her friends and luckily for her, they had not been awaken. They still lay motionless on their bed. Aya sighed and nervously placed her hands over her chest. She slowly and quietly continued to tiptoe toward the door after putting on some slippers.

Aya took a deep breath of air and opened the door. Of course, the person she found standing right in front of the door was none other than Rei Otohata. She gasped loudly, startling Rei. He quickly pushed the door open and came inside. Aya was about to say something, but Rei quickly covered her mouth with his hand. Aya was restricted from any form of talking and movement since Rei was holding her tightly around the waist with his other hand. The only thing Aya could do was hope that her friends wouldn't wake up.

After a couple of seconds, Rei leaned his face closer to Aya and whispered something in her ear. "I'm sorry for grabbing you like this. I didn't mean to scare you. I just didn't want you to wake up your friends."

Aya nodded and soon found herself being released. She turned herself to look at Rei. He placed his index finger over her lips as a sign for her to stay quiet. Then he quietly opened the door and stepped outside. Aya sighed, following him. She wondered why in the world he had come to get her. Whatever it was, Aya figured that it was probably important.

Once they were outside the room, Aya turned to him with an angry look even though she knew that he couldn't really see her face because the hallway was pretty dark. "Rei?" She exclaimed as quietly as she could. "Why did you come all the way over here? If someone sees us, we're going to get in big trouble. Not only that, if my friends find out that I'm not in the room they're going to go ballistic. What do you want?"

"Stop worrying so much. You're so annoying." Rei snapped at her with a pretty loud tone. Aya bit her lower lip and closed her eyes. She wished Rei hadn't just spoken so loudly. "Besides you're the one that said that I could have a little bit of your time."

"Yeah, but I didn't know what you mean." Aya tried to explain to him as they walked down the hallway. Aya had no idea were he going. She was just following Rei since that seemed like the obvious thing to do. "I thought you wanted to talk to me longer through the phone. That's why I agreed. If I would have known that you were going to come all the way to my room, I wouldn't have said anything."

Rei shrugged his shoulders. "All well. There's nothing we can do about it now." He stopped walking and that's when Aya realized that they were standing right in front of the elevator. Aya gulped when she saw Rei pressing the button that was meant for going to the bottom floor.

"Where do you think you're going?" Aya asked him a bit frantically, her hands flying to her head. "Isn't your room on this floor? Why are you going to go down?"

Rei stood quiet for a couple of seconds before Aya heard him let out a giant sigh. "I want to go for a walk at the beach."

Aya's eyes widen at Rei. Then silence soon followed while they waited for the elevator to come. She looked down at her slippers and then looked back at Rei. Despite the darkness that surrounded them, Aya could tell that Rei's face was serious. "Why do you want to go now?"

"I don't know." Rei replied, placing his hands in his pockets. That's when Aya noticed that he was wearing regular clothing while she was in her embarrassing pajamas. "The beach was too crowded before."

"Oh." Aya didn't know what else to say. She was scared that Rei would scold at her for asking to many questions. "It was pretty crowded today, I guess. I still don't understand why you came to get me, then. Wouldn't it be better if I wasn't around?"

"No. It wouldn't." Rei told her at the exact moment that a ding was heard from the elevator. Aya, though, was only paying attention to Rei. "I want you to come with me. There's something I got to talk to you about."

Blushing, Aya quickly turned to look at the elevator's doors that had opened widely. It frighten her to see the elevator empty, but even so, when she saw Rei stepping inside, Aya reflexes followed him. She watched with attentiveness as Rei clicked the button that would take them to the first floor. Aya couldn't believe that Rei was really going to take a walk at the beach. She never would have expected something like that at all. After a couple of seconds went by, the elevator doors closed and it started heading toward it's destination.

"What do you want to talk to me about?" Aya asked quietly, feeling more embarrassed than ever after she saw Rei looking strangely at her pajamas. She regretted so much buying them. "Couldn't you have just told me through the phone?"

"Are you stupid or do you just pretend to be?" Rei smirked at her, making Aya blush. "There are just some things that can't be said through the phone."

Aya knew he was lying. He probably didn't have anything to say to her because if he did then he probably would have said it earlier. It was hard to believe that Rei would ever want to say anything to her at all. Before this trip, whenever Aya would ask him something, Rei would always ignore her or change the subject. He would never talk about his problems so it was pretty suspicious that he wanted to talk to her now. Aya just couldn't believe it.

Then, her mind was still being pestered by Yuuya's words. Why did it seem that he didn't want her and Rei to be together? Maybe it was because he really didn't and she was just being dense about it? Aya wanted to ask Rei about it, but decided not to since it would be a bit too awkward.

After being in the elevator for a minute or so, it finally arrived to the first floor. Aya was relieved that she was finally going to be out of the elevator since being in such a small space with Rei made her nervous. Before Aya could step outside, she felt Rei's warm hand grabbing hers. Blushing a bright shade of pink, Aya looked up at Rei who gave her another small smirk.

"I don't want you running away." He explained as they stepped out of the elevator together. Aya nodded, but couldn't stop herself from blushing.

Unlike earlier in the day, the hotel's lobby was empty. There were only a couple of people beside the reception desk and they all seemed pretty busy to pay attention to them. Aya sighed with relief, glad that they had gotten down to the first floor without being discovered. She was about to start walking toward the main entrance door when she felt Rei tug her tightly the other way. Surprised, Aya realized that he was walking toward a door that was located on the right side of the building.

He opened the door for her and Aya, reluctantly, stepped outside. She was amazed to find herself standing right in front of the beautiful beach. She could feel the beautiful ocean breeze hitting her face. She could see the ocean's waves soaking the soft sand. Aya stood motionless as she looked up at the perfect cloudless sky. It was covered in stars and far in the horizon, the moon shined down at her. Aya couldn't believe the beautiful view she was enjoying.

Snapping herself form her thoughts, Aya suddenly saw Rei walk past her. He went down the small staircase that would lead them to the beach. He kept on walking until he stood right in front of the ocean. Aya quietly followed him until she stood right next to him. She waited patiently for him to say something.

"It's kind nice here." Rei said, looking out into the horizon. "I'm so glad I decided to come."

Aya nodded happily and looked in the same direction he was. Then she took off her slippers and started taking a few steps toward the waves. She stopped when she felt the cold water reaching toward her toes. She shivered, but the waves quickly retreated themselves back into the big sea. Aya looked at Rei and motioned him to come with her. He smiled, but shook his head.

Aya continued to walk, but sideways, along the ocean and not toward it. She turned back to look at Rei, who was following her with her slippers in his hand. Aya smiled to herself and each time the waves would come out to reach her feet, she would splash it up in the air. "I'm also very glad you came. Things wouldn't be the same without you here."

Rei didn't say anything as he continued to walk behind her. Aya stopped walking and turned around to look at him. She was surprised to find him staring at her. Aya blushed and nervously looked down at the sand. "Rei, there's something I got to ask you."

"Oh, yeah? What is it?" Rei told her in reply.

Before Aya continued, she stepped away from the waves and walked toward him. Instead of walking besides the ocean, Aya decided to walk next to him. Since he was still carrying her slippers, Aya decided to continue walking barefoot and to let her feet get a good taste of the sand.

"Well," Aya began. "Just like you did, Yuuya told me about the talk he had with you. He told me something that you didn't say to me at all."

"Really?" Rei said, but his voice sounded uninterested. In fact, it sounded to Aya like he really didn't care much about it. "And what did he say?"

Aya gulped and began to play with her fingers. She was starting to regret she had brought up the topic. She should have just kept on enjoying the walk they were having together. Now, thanks to her, Rei was starting to sound a bit annoyed.

"He told me," Aya began with a quivering voice. "He told me that he asked you what you felt for me. Your answer was that you felt nothing for me and that I was annoying and always in your way. You also said that the only reason you were hanging out with me was because you felt sorry for me." Aya paused since her eyes were close to tears. "Is that true? Did you really say all those things about me?"

Rei scratched the back of his. "Yeah, I did say them."

Aya's eyes widen with her tears slowly trailing down her cheeks. She sniffed as she looked down at the sand that was in between her toes. She snapped her eyes shut and shut out the world for a couple of seconds. Then she heard Rei walking toward her. He placed his hand on her shoulder, making her look up at him. The tears started to flow down less and less as Rei wiped each one with his finger. Surprised, Aya suddenly felt Rei hit her lightly on the head.

"You shouldn't be such an idiot all the time. It could be bad for your health." Rei smirked at her. "I didn't really mean what I said. I just said that to Yuuya so he could shut the fuck up and leave me alone."

Aya blinked several times in confusion. "You mean to say that you were lying?"

Rei shrugged. "Of course, idiot. Did you really think I would say that? I might say that in my head, but I wouldn't say that out loud." Aya watched as Rei placed his hands once again in his pocket. "Besides, I never thought that stupid friend of yours would snitch on me. I really do hate him now."

Taking a deep breath, Aya's frown slowly turned into a small fragile smile. She felt so relieved to hear that he hadn't really meant his words. "I'm so glad. It makes so happy to know that you don't hate me."

"Don't tell me you were sulking about that the whole time?" Rei asked her which immediately made Aya blush since it was the straight up truth. "Is that why you didn't come down to eat dinner?"

Even though she didn't want to, Aya quietly admitted it. "Yeah, that was part of it. I was just so sad and angry. I didn't want to see Yuuya at all because I thought he was lying to me. I even yelled at him. I feel so bad now."

Rei stopped walking and turned around to look at her a bit surprised. Aya stood right in front of him as she felt the cold gentle breeze blow on her long hair. "You really thought he was lying?"

Aya quickly nodded. "Of course I did. There was no way I could ever believe that you would say something like that about me. And even if it was true, I didn't want to believe it because it hurt. You're a very important person to me and I don't want you to hate me."

They stood in silent after Aya's last sentence. The only thing that could be heard were waves that kept tumbling on to the beach. Aya's hands went up to her chest as she mentally tried to calm down her heart. It was pounding so loudly since she had been on the verge of telling Rei how she really felt. Blushing, Aya looked at Rei and was surprised to see his eyes filled with kindness.

"Aya," Rei whispered. "I would never hate you. I never have. I never will."

"Really?" Aya asked, full of surprise. Her hands were trembling and she didn't know if it was because of the cold chilly air that was surrounding her. "I'm so glad. It makes me so happy to know that you don't hate me." Aya took a deep breath and tried to relax herself as she got ready to say her next words. "There's something I want to know, though." Aya paused and calmly closed her eyes. "What do you feel for me, Rei? I want to know if you feel the same thing I feel for you."

Rei took another step toward her and suddenly grabbed a small portion of her hair. Closing his eyes, Rei slowly brought it up to his lips and gently kissed it. Blushing, Aya looked away until he dropped her hair. "What is it that _you_ feel for me? If you tell me, then I'll tell you if they're the same."

Aya hesitated to speak. She had wanted him to tell her first. Now, she scared of saying something that could make her look like a fool. Aya wished Rei could have just answered her question instead of throwing the question back at her. Shaking her fears away, Aya looked at Rei with determined eyes. There was no way she was about to back away. This was the moment she had been waiting for the entire trip. She had to keep going forward.

"Rei," Aya started, feeling nervous. "You've done so many things for me. You've helped me and you've always been by side. You always come to me when I need you the most. Thanks to you, I have experienced many new feelings. Thanks to you, I've learned to become more confident and I'm learning to speak up for myself. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't appeared in my life."

Aya paused to look at Rei and when she saw him listening studiously, she continued. "I don't want you to leave my side, Rei. I want to be with you forever. I enjoy being with you. I feel so happy everytime I have you near me. I don't want you to leave my side because I love you."

The wind blew on them, making Aya's body tense up. They stood in silence and Aya, not wanting to make contact with Rei's blue eyes, looked down at the sand that was underneath her feet. Tears were beginning to form in her eyes after receiving no answer from Rei. The silence continued to drag on much to Aya's anxiousness. She would look at Rei with hopes that he would say something, but he remained as stiff as a rock. It was starting to drive Aya crazy.

"It's okay, though." Aya suddenly said very quietly, barely audible. "I understand if you don't feel the same way for me. I just wanted to tell you what I felt about you. I wanted to let you know how important you are to me. You're under no obligation to correspond to me or anything. So don't worry."

Aya was about to walk away when she felt Rei's strong hand grab her arm. Without looking at him, Aya's eyes silently dripped tears.

"Dammit, Aya. You don't even let me speak." Rei told her, letting go of her arm. Aya turned around to look at him while she wiped her tears with her pajama's sleeve. Rei dropped her slippers on the ground and grabbed both of her shoulders lightly. "You shouldn't make stupid assumptions like that."

Shaking her head, Aya gave him a small smile and took a deep breath. "I know. I know. It's just that I'm scared. I'm afraid to hear you say that you don't see me that way. I'm scared that because of me our friendship might be ruined."

"You idiot." Rei told her, placing his hands on his pockets. He turned to look at the ocean horizon, giving Aya his back. Aya remained in the same spot, staring at Rei's back while the moonlight hit her face. "I remember the first day we met like it was yesterday."

Aya walked next him and sat down on the ground. Rei watched her and did the same thing. Now, they were both sitting next to each on the sand, both of them staring out into the ocean. Aya hugged her knees tightly and looked over at Rei. "Really? I remember that day as well. It's in a very special moment I carry inside my heart."

Rei smirked. "Since that moment, since the moment you bumped into me, I could never get you out of my mind. You were always present inside me. It was pretty annoying. I hated myself for it and that's why I wanted to push you away. That's why I didn't want you near me."

Nodding, Aya remembered the cold way Rei used to talk to her and the way he would say mean things to her. "It's strange because the same thing happened to me. I couldn't take you out of my mind and it hurt every time you tried to push me away from you. All I wanted to do was help you and be your friend."

"You never gave up one me and that's one of the things I admired about you the most. You weren't scared of me. No matter what I told you and no matter how many times I told you to keep away, you didn't listen. You kept on trying to get close to me." Rei's face was stern, but his words were steady.

"I couldn't leave you, Rei. There were times that I really did try to not bother you anymore, but for some reason, I always tended to worry about you. I just couldn't help thinking about you." Aya was surprised at how easily she was saying her feelings. Then again, whenever she was with Rei, things tended to roll out smoothly.

Rei smirked at her. "I worried about you too. Didn't you ever find it strange that I would always appear at the right time? I would follow you around. Even though you thought I wasn't there, I was always watching you from afar ever since the first day I met you."

Aya pouted and crossed her hands. "You were stalking me then? That's kind of scary."

"It's your fault for being so helpless and needy all the time. It's not my fault your a magnet for trouble." Rei told her before letting out a small laugh. Aya didn't find it very funny, but smiled along with him anyways. Then her heart zoomed to a million when she felt Rei placing his hand on top of hers. "But it's okay. That's why I'm here."

Aya's eyes widen, her body close to jumping up with joy. She couldn't believe that all this was happening to her. If she was dreaming, she hoped to never wake up. If it was really happening, she wished time could stop so she could be that way with Rei forever. "Rei, does this mean that you feel the same way I do? Is the feeling mutual?"

Rei couldn't help, but roll his eyes and sigh in annoyance. "Did you not hear a word I was saying? It's hard enough to say it once and now you're gonna make me say all that again?"

Surprised, Aya leaned back a bit. "No. No. That's not what I meant. I understand what you mean. You don't have to repeat it. It's just that all this seems to good to be true. I've been waiting for this moment for such a long time and now that's finally here, I just can't seem to believe it. I love you so much, Rei that it would hurt me a lot to figure out this was all just a dream."

"You're such an idiot." Rei told her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her closer. Then he also started to lean toward her. Pretty soon, Rei's face was only inches away from hers. "That's what I like about you, though. Don't ever change."

Aya was about to say something when Rei finally closed the gap between them. Slowly and gently, he pressed his lips against hers. Surprised at first, Aya didn't know what to do, but when she felt Rei's hand wrapping around her waist, she closed her eyes and decided to enjoy the moment. Aya wrapped her arms around Rei's chest while he held his other hand up to her cheek. Without thinking about anything else, Aya savored each and every single second that her lips stayed attached to Rei's. She could feel her heart pounding with excitement at the thought that she was getting her first kiss from the man she loved. Nothing in moment mattered to Aya. All she knew was that she was with Rei and that's how she wanted to be forever. Before she knew it, she was laying on top of sand with Rei on top of her.

When they broke away from each, Aya looked up at Rei while he looked down at her. He smiled at her and deliberately started to caress her flushed cheeks. Then he started to trace her lips with his finger. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to do that, Aya."

"Really?" Aya whispered to herself. "Why didn't you, then?"

He didn't answer her question and instead leaned down to kiss her again. This time he did it more passionately and Aya didn't seem to mind. She just went along with him, loving the feeling of having him so close to her. It was so wonderful to see how much he wanted her.

"Why didn't I do it?" Rei rephrased her question, after he ended their spark. His face remained close to hers and Aya could feel his breath hitting her face. "Because I knew if I kissed you once, I wouldn't want to stop."

Aya smiled at him as she slowly started to push him off him. Rei did as he was told and watched as she grabbed his hand. She intertwined her fingers with his. "Well, now we never have to let go. I want us to be together like this forever."

Rei smirked and held her hand over to his lips. His contact still made Aya's heart flutter just as much as before. Then he looked at her after he released her hand. "Alright, then. I wouldn't mind being with you for the rest of my life."

"Oh, Rei!" Aya exclaimed as she jumped toward him, giving him a big and tight hug. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she buried her head in his shoulder. Then she felt him returning the hug by grabbing her tightly by the waist and pulling her closer to him. "I'm the happiest girl in the world! I thought this day would never come!"

Rei pulled away and gave her a small peck in the forehead, sending Aya's already flushed face like a tomato. He laughed at her, but then started playing with her hair. "I'm the luckiest guy in the world then, for having a girl like you. You're my reason to live. If it wasn't for you, I'd probably be dead by now."

"Don't say that. I'm not that special." Aya protested. "Besides, from now on, I promise to always take care of you. I won't let you out my sight. You'll never get in trouble with society again."

"Heh. You take care of me?" Rei asked her pinching her nose. Aya shoved his hand away in a playful manner. "You can barely take care of yourself. You shouldn't make promises you can't keep."

"Oh, just you watch me. I'll show you who's right." Aya smiled at him before turning to face the ocean again. She had forgotten for a minute where she was even at. "You know, Rei. This is the first time I've felt this way for someone."

"Really?" Rei said lifting his eyebrow. "So what about your little friend Yuuya? Didn't you like him too?"

Aya furrowed her eyebrows and pretended to be cross, but her quivering voice kind of gave her away. "Yuuya has nothing to do with this. He's a good friend and that's all he will ever be. I'm not really sure how he feels for me, but in this moment, that doesn't matter. I chose you and there's nothing he can do to change that. I'm sure if I explain things to him, he'll understand."

Rei shrugged and stood up. He shook off any sand that was left in his pants before looking down at Aya. He picked up her slippers and then, kneeled down in front of her. Aya blushed as she watched him put her slippers on her feet. Such a kind gesture coming from him really made Aya feel special. Then he stood up again, holding his hand out for her. Aya took it and he helped her get up to her feet. Then they started walking back in the direction they had come from, the only difference being that Rei didn't let go of her hand.

"From this point on," Rei suddenly said in a severe voice. "You're mine. I'm not gonna let Yuuya or any other stupid fool hit on you. They're gonna have to learn to back off."

Aya sighed and shook her head. "Yeah, right. You have nothing to worry about. I'm not popular at all with the opposite sex. In fact, no one has ever taken an interest in me until you came. To be honest, I'm not really sure what you saw in me."

"I don't know either." Rei responded a bit surprised at his sudden realization.

Smiling, Aya playfully punched him in the arm. "Anyways, I'm the one that's going to be worried that some girl might snatch you away from me. You should have seen the way all the girls were drooling on you this afternoon. Every girl wants to have a guy like you."

Rei shrugged. "I'm too good for them. There's no way I'll ever fall for one of those airheads. Anyways, you were also turning a couple of heads with that swimsuit you were wearing." He looked at her and gave her hand a tight squeeze. "I have no reason to be looking at other girls when I got you. You're more than enough for me."

"Really? Are you sure that I'm good enough for you?" Aya asked him sarcastically, trying to make his ego stumble a little.

"Don't worry. You're good enough." Rei reassured with a quick kiss in the lips. Aya blushed and quickly turned away. "Your worth a lot more than you think."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that." Aya told him before Rei suddenly came to a halt.

Aya watched Rei slowly let go of her hand to stick them back into his pockets. He looked up at the sky and Aya slowly joined him. The view was beautiful, but what made this night special wasn't the stars or the wonderful ocean that rustled toward them; it was the fact that she and Rei had just become an item.

"So what should we do now?" Rei turned to look at her.

"What do you mean what should we do know?" Aya exclaimed, placing her hands on her hips. "Who knows what time it is now! We need to head back to the hotel before anyone finds out that we're missing. If Nakanishi discovers that we are not in our rooms, he's going to kill us. Then we're never going to hear the end of it. What if my friends wake up to find me not there? They'll go crazy. A crazy Ran is definitely something the world needs to avoid."

"Fine. Fine." Rei agreed. He grabbed Aya's hand and pulled her toward him. He stroked her cheek before leaning down to kiss her. Aya, trying to get used to it, kissed him back. "If that's what you really want then, let's go back."

Aya nodded, happy that Rei understood and wasn't going to try to do something stupid. They were walking hand in hand toward the hotel when Aya suddenly realized something. "Hey, Rei?"

"What is it now?" Rei asked her, not bothering to look at her.

Biting her lower lip, Aya turned to give the ocean one last look. "You haven't told me what it was you wanted to talk to me about."

"Oh, that." Rei smirked mischiviously at her, making Aya a bit confused. "You shouldn't worry about that. I just said that so you could come with me. It was just an excuse to be with you."

"You're such a liar, but, I-" Aya didn't finish her sentence when she heard Rei speak.

"I love you, Aya Hoshino."

With that, Aya's night was complete. It had been the best night of her life and it was a moment that she would never forget. They walked together, hand and hand, to the hotel like a recently married couple, nothing disturbing their peace.

Of course, there were many things in store for them. The days that were to come after this would completely put their happiness to the test more than once. Their trial was only about to begin.

…


	21. A Small Proposal

**Gals!**

_Hello, everyone! It's been awhile hasn't it. Very sorry about that. Because I haven't written for this story in a while, I've kind of lost my touch. I hope you're not too dissapointed. I tried my best. Whenever I write for this story, I put all my heart into it. I just love Gals!. _

_I was a bit distracted writing this story since I was watching the St. Louis Cardinals vs. Washington Nationals. What a game! I love baseball even when the Texas Rangers aren't playing._

_Anyways, I hope you enjoy chapter 21. A thanks to all my readers, reviewers, followers, ect._

* * *

><p><strong>Opposite Attractions<strong>

**Chapter 21 – A Small Proposal**

When the trip was finally over, things were different for Rei and Aya. To Aya's joy, they were officially a couple. Nothing in the world could possibly make her feel any happier. The smile on her face was pure and legit. They got down from the airplane holding hands, surprising everyone except her friends since Aya had already told them. They shared her happiness.

Aya hugged Rei's arm tightly as they walked together toward her house. He had agreed to walk her after they had arrived to Shibuya. Of course, Aya didn't mind. She loved spending time with him and especially now, when she didn't have to hide her feelings anymore. Aya looked up to see the sun setting in the background, turning the sky an orange color and making the air a bit more chillier. Leaning her head against Rei's arm, Aya saw her house coming into view from the distance.

"I wonder if my mom is home." Aya suddenly said, cutting the silence. She released Rei's arm and sighed to herself. "She told me that she had something important to say to me. I didn't think much about it then, but now I'm starting to get a bit worried. I wonder what it is that she is going to tell me."

"When did she tell you that?" Rei asked her, giving her a stiff look. He adjusted her backpack over his shoulder before pulling her towards him, trying to comfort her. "I don't remember you telling me that."

Aya shrugged and placed her finger over her lips. "She told me that before we left Okinawa. It was through a text message. It said that she wanted me home as soon as we arrived." Aya sighed again before closing her eyes with uneasiness. She had barely arrived and her mother was already making her stress out. "By the way, I can't wait to tell her that you and I are together."

Rei rolled his eyes, but he still let out a small smirk. "What are you saying? We've been together for a long time. Ever since we met, you've clung on to me like a piece of gum."

Pouting, Aya shook her head in disapproval. She playfully placed her hands on her hips and scolded him. "Rei, that's not what I meant. I want to tell her that we're together like a couple." Aya blushed and began to fiddle with her fingers in embarrassment. "That is what we are, right? A couple?"

Aya took a quick glimpse at Rei to find him nodding. He didn't say anything else, but that was enough for Aya. She busted into a smile and placed her hands behind her back triumphantly. They walked in silence for the next couple of minutes until they finally stood in front of Aya's home.

"So you're finally home," Rei told her as he looked up at her house. Then he turned back to look at her. "I'm sure that hairy dog of yours is gonna be happy to see you."

"Of course. He loves me very much." Aya told Rei as he gave the backpack to her. "He must have been so sad. I left him for a good couple of days. I don't regret it, though." Aya's voice faded, shifting her eyes toward Rei. "Thank you so much, Rei. Thank you for everything."

Without saying a single word, Rei grabbed Aya and pulled her into a tight embrace. After comprehending the situation, Aya placed her arms around Rei and hugged him back. "I'm the one that's suppose to be saying thank you." Rei whispered in her ear as he trailed his fingers down her waist. "Now that you're finally mine, I'm never going to let you go."

Aya pulled herself apart and placed her hand over Rei's face. Then she began to touch his soft brown hair. "I never thought I would be here like this with you. I never thought that you would be capable of showing me your feelings. I'm so glad that we're together, Rei. I love you so much that it overwhelms me."

Instead of replying to her statement, Rei took hold of her cheek and leaned down to give her kiss. Aya could feel herself blushing, but mange to compose herself and to kiss him back. She wrapped her hands around his neck. She loved feeling Rei so close to her. In times like those, she wished time could just stop so she could be that way with him forever. When Rei slowly pulled away, Aya was as flustered as ever. Rei smiled at her and patted her head with tenderness. "You're so adorable sometimes, Aya. I could just eat you up."

"Yeah, right. Whatever." Aya rolled her eyes and placed her backpack over her shoulder. It was amazing to her how Rei could act so gentle toward her. He made her feel special, almost one in a million. Aya pushed her bangs away from her face when an idea suddenly occurred to her. "Oh, Rei! Why don't you stay over for dinner? I'm sure my mother would love it. Wouldn't that be nice?"

"That sounds nice." Rei told her, but his voice sounded a bit hesitant. Aya looked at him with curiosity while he sighed. "Are you sure that's what you want?"

"Of course." Aya clapped her hands together. She let out a small laugh before she headed toward the gate. She really didn't see anything wrong with it since it wouldn't be the first time Rei had entered her home. In fact, he had done it many times before. "If my mom isn't home, then I'll be the one that cooks for you."

Rei walked ahead of her and pulled the gate opened for her. Aya nodded as a thank you, then walked in. She had only took a couple of steps when she heard her dog coming towards her, barking. Aya happily leaned down to pat his head. It was clear that he was happy to see her. "Hey, boy! I missed you so much!" Aya looked around the vast front yard, standing up. "I wonder if my mom has you out here all by yourself."

"I really wish I could stay, but I have some things I have to do." Rei suddenly told her, scratching the back of his head. "I'll take you somewhere next weekend. It'll be my treat."

Aya wondered what it was that he had to do, but decided to not ask him about it. She was scared that if she pressed on that topic he could get mad. Instead, Aya gave him a smile. "Alright. That's sounds great. Can't wait. We'll just have to make sure Ran doesn't see us or else she'll tag along and leave your wallet empty. She tends to eat a lot."

Nodding, Rei grabbed Aya and gave her a kiss in the forehead. He brushed her hair with his fingers. Aya stared into his icey blue eyes, the sun making them look warm and gentle. She still couldn't believe that all that was happening to her. Sometime she thought things were too good to be true. "I'll call you later." Rei told her, letting her go. Aya just kept staring at him in a daze. "See ya'"

Aya waved good-bye to him as she watched him leave. Then she sighed to herself and leaned down to pick up Dylan from the ground. She scratched his fur behind the ears before she headed toward her front door. She pulled out the key from her pocket, placed it in the lock, and opened the door.

She walked inside, placing Dylan on the floor. He started jumping around excitedly before he headed toward the living room. Aya smiled to herself as she took off her shoes and placed her backpack on the floor. Stretching her hands, Aya called out to her mother while she walked behind Dylan toward the living room. "Hey, mother! I'm finally home. You won't believe what happened in the trip!"

The moment Aya stepped in the living room her smile quickly turned upside down. Her mother turned to look at her, tears swelled in her eyes. Aya, at first, didn't understand why she was like that. She walked toward her and that's when her father came into view. He was standing on the other side of the living room, across from her mother. His face was serious and stern when he looked at Aya.

Aya gasped, her hand flying on top of her mouth. She couldn't believe that her father was actually there. He was standing in his work attire, a brief case in his hand. He pushed his glasses back before he turned away. Aya's hands curled into fists while she stood next to her mother. After all this time that he didn't come, he decides to show up now, only to make her mother cry. "What are you doing here?"

Her father didn't answer and ignored her completely. Aya turned to look at her mother, her eyes flaring from sadness to anger. "Aya asked you a question! Why aren't you answering her?! Why don't you tell her truth?! Tell her why you're really here! Tell her!"

Nothing came out of his mouth, though. He continued to stay in silent, making Aya worry. It was obvious to her that her parents were having an argument. Deep down inside her, Aya was glad Rei hadn't accepted her invitation. If he had, then he would have witnessed her parent's dispute. Aya placed her hand on top of her mother's arm, insisting on her to tell her what was going on.

"I can't believe you!" Aya's mother exclaimed to her father. She was angry and sad at the same time. Aya could tell by hearing her trembling voice. Her mother pushed her hair back while she started to walk back and forth in desperation. "After this, I never want to see your face again!"

"What's going on?" Aya asked her mother almost in whisper. "Why are you two arguing? Shouldn't you be happy that dad is finally back after all this time? Shouldn't we be celebrating that he finally returned to us?"

"He returned in body only. His mind was left in another women." Aya's mother hissed toward him. Her words made him flinch, making him snap his head toward her mother. "Tell her how you had an affair with your secretary! Tell her how you came here asking for a divorce! Tell her, you heartless bastard! Tell her how you're breaking me right now!"

Aya stayed silent and turned to look at her father. It hurt to see her parents fight like that, but it hurt even more to hear that they were going to separate from each other lives. She had been so happy and excited to tell her mother that she and Rei were together. Their love had officially formed, but her parents love was disappearing. "Is that true?" Aya, distraught, asked her father. "Did you really do that?"

Instead of him answering, Aya's mother stepped in again. "Yes. He did do that. He has no shame. Coming here and asking for a divorce because he's infatuated with another women! That's why he took so long to come back. He was too busy entertaining another women! He didn't think about me or you! He only thought about himself!"

"You're acting too childish." Her father turned back around, showing his face which expressed no emotions whatsoever. "I never imagined such a reaction from you. You making a big deal out of nothing. I am telling you the truth. I don't want to have any ties with you anymore. I think it would be best for the two of us to get a divorce."

Aya's mother bit her lip while tears ran down from her eyes. "If that's what you want, then fine. I'll give it you. I can bear with that. What I'm not going to fight you is the custody of Aya. She's staying with me!"

"With you? Do you honestly think you can take care of her after what happened to your son?" Her father pushed his glasses back while he placed his brief case on a near by table. "I'm going to tell you this right now. Aya will be better off with me. I'll make sure she gets everything she needs. I'll make sure she gets the best education out there."

"No way I''m going to let that happen! I can take care of her without any of your help." Aya's mother wiped her tears angrily. She glared at her father with hatred and disgust. "I'm her mother! I'm not going to let her live with you and that woman. Never, never."

"Can you guys just stop?" Aya said quietly. Her heart was being broken in two. She didn't want to hear any of that anymore. Why couldn't they work things out smoothly? Why did her father have to leave after he had finally arrived? Tears rolled down out of Aya's eyes. She looked down at Dylan who in returned looked up at her with his wagging tail. He was lucky to not understand anything that was going on.

"I don't want this. I want you guys to stay together." Aya told them, but when she received no answer, she sighed while the tears continued to flow. She placed her hand on her aching chest to try to make herself feel better. There was no way she could ease her heart, though. "I don't want to hear any of this anymore!"

Aya turned around and went of upstairs to her room. She slammed the door before dropping herself in her bed. The tears started to flow more freely now that no one was watching her. Even though she had her door closed, Aya could still hear her parents arguing downstairs. They just wouldn't stop. They were arguing about her and then about her dead brother.

Where did all the happiness that she had felt earlier go? No matter how much she searched her heart, Aya couldn't feel anything that wasn't sadness. Her parents had crushed her happy mood, leaving her with only bitter tears. Aya grabbed a near by pillow and hugged it tightly. Why did this have to happen to her? She had arrived from her trip hoping to receive smiles and warm welcomes, but instead she received her dad's cold shoulder and her mother's sad tears.

…

Aya sat in her desk, distracted more than ever. She was looking out the window, feeling torn and thinking about her parents. She sighed for the millionth time. The teacher kept going on with the lesson, but Aya wasn't listening. She could feel Rei staring at her, but she didn't feel like turning around. If she did, Rei would see her teary eyes.

A few more minutes ticked by when the bell to lunch rang. Aya didn't hear it, though. Her mind was still in a daze as she stared off into space. She was brought back to reality when Rei hit her playfully in the head. Aya looked up and gave him a small smile, but he gave her a serious look instead. "Hey, Rei. I brought you a lunch today." Aya bent down to grab it from her bag. "It's not much, but I'm sure you'll like it. We can share it if you want."

He didn't say anything, leaning closer to her. He placed his hand under her chin and lifted her so that she was looking at him straight in the eyes. Aya tried to look away, but her eyes were drawn to him. She blushed at sight of having him so close. She was already going out with him so she didn't understand why she was still getting all embarrassed like that. He stayed in silent, staring at her and making her feel very uncomfortable. "Rei? What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? Nothing is wrong with me." Rei told her, standing up and leaning against the side of her desk. He crossed his hands while he looked down at her. "What is wrong with you? You've been so quiet. Even in the morning when we were walking to school. You hardly talked. I want to know why. What's wrong with you?"

Aya gasped and gripped tightly on the box of lunch in her hands. The class was now empty since everyone had already gone of to eat. There was no excuse for her to avoid the topic. In the morning, when Rei had asked her what was wrong, she had simply said that she was sleepy and tired because of their long trip. He had probably believed it then. Now, he could probably see through her lie. It was already past noon and it was hard to believe that she was still tired. Aya sighed sadly as she placed the lunch on her desk.

"It's nothing really. I'm just making a big deal out of nothing." Aya told him, repeating her father's words and looking down at the floor. In order for her to speak without fear, Aya began to count the tiles that covered the floor. That was one way to keep herself from making contact with Rei. "When I got home yesterday, I found my parents arguing. They're getting a divorce. They don't love each other anymore."

Aya tried to keep a straight face when she was telling this to Rei, but she couldn't. Her tears started to flow. She still couldn't believe that after years of them being together, they would just separate just like that. Aya didn't know if her father had really had an affair or not, but she knew that part of the whole mess was his fault. Ever since the incident with her brother, her father started to distance himself from her and her mother.

"So is that what happened?" Rei asked placing his hand on top of her head. "You're parents are getting a divorce?"

Aya nodded, but couldn't speak. She felt like if she spoke, she would end up crying even more. She wiped her tears with her sleeves while she looked up Rei. He was looking at her with a much more kind face. Aya got up and stood up next to him. "I was so excited yesterday. I couldn't wait to tell my mom about us. I thought she would be happy." Aya paused to sniff. "I didn't even get a chance. She was crying. She was mad that my dad had asked for a divorce . It hurt to see her like that. I don't know what to do to help her."

"There's nothing you can do. You just have to let them sort it out." Rei told her, pulling her into a hug. Feeling Rei's arms around her, in such a protective manner, Aya started to cry even more. She hated doing that, but she just couldn't help it. "Calm down, Aya. Everything is going to be okay."

"I hope so." Aya pulled away from Rei. He helped wipe her tears away until none remained. "If they get a divorce, my father said he was going to fight for my custody. He'll probably want me to stay with him for a certain amount of time. I don't want to go with him. I'm tired of all this stress. If my father does leave, my mother is going to enter that depressive stage she entered with brother. She'll start burring herself in her work. She'll just shove me to the side."

"Your brother?" Rei suddenly asked, changing the topic. He looked at her with confusion and Aya couldn't really blame him. She hardly ever talked to him about her brother. She didn't like to mention him because his memory stung.

"Yeah. He died a long time ago." Aya quickly said, not wanting to ever say that again. She could tell that Rei sensed that too. "I wish I could help my mother, but I can't. I know she's not going to let me get close to her."

Rei began to brush her hair with his fingers. "You're not alone, Aya. I'm here with you." He placed his hand on her cheek, looking at her closely with serious eyes. "I know this might be a bit unrelated, but Aya, I want you to come live with me."

Her eyes widen at Rei's proposal. She rubbed her eyes dumbfounded, not sure if she had heard right. Scratching her head, Aya took a step back as she tried to carefully process the words that had come out of Rei's lips. "Wait. What? Are you serious?"

"Yeah. I've been thinking about it for awhile." Rei shrugged his shoulders, placing his hands in his pockets. He was calm unlike her. Aya's heart was pounding like crazy. "I think that it would be good for you at least until your parents settled things between each other." Rei caressed her cheek with kindness. "I don't want to see you cry everyday because of your parents. I'll end up hating them."

Aya didn't know what say. She didn't know what to do. It seemed a bit wild and drastic for her to move out of her parents house to move in with her boyfriend. What sixteen year old did that? If she did do something like that, Ran would choke before she stepped one foot into Rei's home. It was too crazy. They would be like a married couple. She couldn't do something like that no matter how much she loved Rei. "I don't know. I don't what to say."

"When I'm with you, I feel like all my problems go away." Rei told while he walked over to the window to look out into the gorgeous afternoon. "You know, my parents were also the reason why I ran away from home. I left everything I had and I started a life on my own."

Aya looked up surprised that Rei had actually talked about his past. He would never say anything when it came to his past. Could it be that he was opening up to her because he was starting to trust her more? Of course he trusted her. If he didn't then he probably wouldn't have accepted her as his girlfriend and he probably wouldn't have asked her to go live with him. "What did they do?"

By the time Aya asked that, Rei had already dropped that conversation and continued to press on with his previous question. "Aya. You should come live with me. I don't want your dad to take you away from me."

"I'm not going to let him do that. So don't worry." Aya said, resilient to her resolution. "I promise to always stay here. I'm not going to leave you."

"Alright, then." Rei told her, grabbing the lunch from her desk. He opened it and looked inside before giving her a small smirk. "Just remember that my door is always open for you."

…

Rei walked Aya home after school was over like he always did. He didn't insist on her living with him anymore, but Aya was sure that sooner or later that topic would show itself again. Sighing, Aya opened the door of her house. She expected to find her mother and father arguing again, but instead she was welcomed by the smell of cookies in the oven.

"I'm home." Aya stated with a discouraged voice. She looked down for only a second, to find her mother standing the next. Startled, Aya took a couple of steps back, almost stepping on Dylan. "Oh. Hey, mother. What are you doing?"

"Nothing. Just making some cookies for you. I was in the mood for cooking." Aya's mother stated with a smile. She had cookie dough all over her face. She stayed in silent for a couple of seconds and that's when her cheery smile started fading away. "Your father and I are getting a divorce."

Not surprised by her words, Aya nodded. "I know. I saw part of your argument. I honestly don't know what to say. You guys completely crushed me yesterday."

"I know. I'm terribly sorry about that. As my way to ask for forgiveness, I'm making you some of my special cookies. They'll be ready in a second." Her mother told, trying her best to give her a sincere smile. Aya could tell that she was too happy for own good. There was something up with her and she was trying to hide it within her smile. "I worked really hard on them. I hope you like them."

"I'm sure I will." Aya replied. She grabbed Dylan's leash from the counter and placed it's end on his collar. "Anyways, I'm going to go walk Dylan. I'll be right back."

"No, wait! Aya!" Her mother grabbed her wrist before she could even take a step toward the door. Aya stared at her as she backed away with a sadden face. "I haven't told you everything yet. Your father decided that he wasn't going to fight for your custody. He said he would be happy to see you every once in a while."

"Well, that's great." Aya told her even though she didn't really mean it. It was hard to accept the fact that she really didn't mean that much to her father. It made sense, though. She never was her father's favorite after all. "Is that all you had to tell me?"

Her mother shook her head while she looked down at the floor. "No. That's not it. I'm been told at work that I'm going to have to travel overseas for a while. I'm going to have to leave you alone for a few weeks. I'm very sorry, Aya." Her mother grabbed her shoulders tightly. "Please forgive me. There's nothing I can do. I promise to still take care of you from afar."

Aya didn't say anything. Instead, she let out a big sigh. She knew that was going to happen. She knew that her work hadn't asked her to do anything. Her mother was planning to bury herself in her job in order to forget her father. She had done the same thing before in order to forget her brother. Did it workout for her? Aya wasn't sure, but she seemed determined to forget the pain.

Once again, her mother was tossing her aside for her own reasons. Normally, Aya would have protested, but this time she didn't. She took her mother's words with calmness and ease. Aya looked at her mother and gave her a smile which left her completely stunned. She wouldn't be reacting this way if it wasn't for Rei. "I understand, mother. Do what you think is best for your heart."

"Aya. I really don't want to leave you alone." Her mother said with a worried tone. "Is there something I can do to change that? Do you want to come with me? Do you want me to call someone to stay here with you?"

Aya shook her head. Her mind was already thinking way ahead of her mother. "There's something I need to tell you that I didn't get to say yesterday."Aya looked at her mother for approval to go on. Once she saw her nod, Aya continued speaking. "During the trip, Rei and I were able to say our feelings for each other. We're together now. So even if I wanted to, I can't be alone. I have him. He's with me."

With a smile on her face, Aya's mother walked toward her and gave a tight hug. It was clear that she was happy at news. "Aya, that's wonderful. Rei seems like a very nice person. I'm sure that he'll be able to take care of you well. I can leave with no worries, then."

"Yes. I know. Rei is a wonderful person. That's why I'm in love with him." Aya admitted, feeling a blush form on her face. She pulled away from her mother's embrace and looked at her in the eyes. "There something else that I have to tell you." Aya took a deep breath. "Today, I explained to Rei the situation that was going on between you and my dad. Then he asked me to go live with him. Of course, at the moment I said no. There was no way I could do something like that."

Her mother was so surprised that she was left speechless. Aya smiled before pushing her hair back from her face. "But, now that I know that I'll be staying alone for a while, I see nothing wrong with going with him. Nothing would make me happier than making him happy. I want to live him at least until you come back."

"Are you sure?" Her mother sounded worried. "Does it have to be him? You can stay with Miyu if you like. I'll even let you stay with Ran! I must admit. It makes me nervous to let you live with a boy. What if you guys make babies? I don't want to come back to find out that I'm a grandmother!"

Aya blushed madly before she started shaking her hands back and forth frantically. "No! Don't think like that! I would never do something like that! At least not yet anyways! I'm not ready for that at all!" Out of breath, Aya watched her mother laugh at her. Aya pouted as she let out a big sigh. "So what? Are you going to let me stay with him or not?"

"As long as you two, don't make babies. If I find you pregnant, I don't know what I'll do." Aya's mother told her with a long face. She was being serious now unlike before. "I can't really say no since I am the one that's leaving you."

Nodding, Aya dropped Dylan's leash and ran upstairs excitedly. Without her ever imagining it, she was going to stay over with Rei until her mother came back from her trip. That sounded good enough for her. That way she wouldn't have to be alone with Dylan. They were both going to live with Rei even if it was for only a couple of weeks.

Aya pulled out her cellphone from her pocket. She couldn't wait to tell Rei. They would be able to enjoy each other's company for as long as they liked.

...


End file.
